A Ganondorf Story
by Winged Knight
Summary: What would happen if Ganondorf got a chance for redemption. A new dimension and several possibilities. Will Ganondorf survive? Read and find out. Alternite timeline.
1. What Happened After

Authors Note: I do not own Zelda and never will. This is an alternate universe story, so the Windwaker never happened. This is my first fic, so please don't be to rough on me.

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What Happened After

Eternity is a long time to think. Years have gone by since he was banished to this hell, this hell of his own creation. Yes, a very long time to think. The past was all there was to think about. Did he regret it? Maybe just a little.

With his power he could view the outside world to some degree. He constantly watched the one who had defeated him. The one who was labeled the Hero of Time. Who is this man? You may have already guessed. He is the Gerudo sorcerer king. He is bearer of the Triforce of Power. He is, and forever shall be Ganondorf, the king of evil.

He had beaten against the walls of his prison, after first coming there. He had used every trick and resource available to him. He had even used his Triforce, his strongest asset and tool. But the walls stood fast, and he was trapped forever in the darkness and pain, never to touch the world of men.

After some experimentation, Ganondorf found that he could view the outside world, but he could not hear it. Though limited, he used this gift to its fullest. He constantly watched Link through his many adventures. He saw Link get transported to a strange new world. Ganondorf observed a great evil, rivaling his own power, though he would never admit it. He watched Link go through many hardships until he finally faced the great menace of dark intentions. Through his power and the power of the Fierce Deity, Link destroyed this evil forever, dispersing its essence across the fabric of the universe.

As Ganondorf watched, one thought ran constantly through his mind. "Why does he do it? Why does he continually risk his life to save all these petty little people, who can offer little or nothing in return?" He just couldn't understand it.

The only time he had done anything to help anybody was when he could get something out of it. It was usually money or political power, but that fit his needs most of the time. He would become trusted and more powerful until he could crush the local force and take over. It was a good strategy, and it had worked for him. He had tried this in Hyrule, and suffered his only defeat.

It was now the hundredth year of his banishment. Link had died a long time ago, while Ganondorf continued to live in this place that had no time. Link's granddaughter had taken up his sword to be the protector of Hyrule. Ganondorf still watched with interest as this hero continued to protect these petty, insignificant people. His logic still not grasping the concept. Suddenly he heard a noise behind him. A noise in this silent void.

He turned around to see non-other then DIN goddess of power.

"Why do you always pester me?" Ganondorf said.

The goddess replied, "Because I want to see if you will change your ways and accept the offer I gave you."

"The answer stays the same, no matter how many times you ask. I refuse."

"Why do you resist a chance of redemption?"

Ganondorf, now quite thoroughly annoyed, said, "Why would I deserve redemption, your redemption, which I do not need or want. You saw what I did. I have brutally killed innocent people, I have manipulated the masses to do my will, and I have raised ancient magic and monsters to wreak havoc across the land. And to top it all off, I made Hyrule go through seven years of darkness, seven years of pain, seven years of hell. My hands did this, and I enjoyed it. Tell me, oh great goddess, why do I deserve redemption?"

The goddess looked at him calmly and said, "Because you have the power to make a difference."

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Good place for an end to this part. Please review.


	2. Evil's King

Disclaimer: Of course I don't own Zelda. If I did I would be in Greece sipping on a martini, watching the waves splash on the beach. Now that the obvious stuff is out of the way, REVIEWS! I got two of them on the same day! I'm so happy. Anyway, here's part two.

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Evil's King

Resounding laughter echoed through the void. It was deep and dark sounding, as if it came from one who hadn't laughed in quite a long time. It did indeed come from one who had not laughed for many years. It took a while for this man, Ganondorf, to compose himself enough to reply. "Make a difference? The only difference I would make would be to conquer the place you assign me to protect!"

The goddess had remained silent during Ganondorf's outburst of laughter. Her face remained impassive as she replied. "I have asked you to help the people of that world. Your power could defeat the evil."

"Not worth my time. Besides, couldn't you have asked Link or his descendents to save that mud-ball of a world?"

"Link's destiny was completed after he defeated Majora. That was the final task for him. His descendents are also bound to Hyrule, like he was after he returned from Termina. They cannot leave that realm. You, on the other hand, are not bound to any one dimension."

"Makes for a nice story, but no thanks. I won't end up your puppet like Link did."

"I am sorry you think that way. I will return later."

"Please don't." Ganondorf's rudeness was not heard for DIN had disappeared. Alone again, Ganondorf thought about when DIN had first offered him this chance for redemption. He thought back to around ten years ago. When the goddess had first appeared to him.

He had been surprised, to say the least. He hadn't expected to see another person in this damned plane of existence. He was even more surprised at the offer for his freedom. DIN had asked him to go to a new land called Kyteria in some other dimension. He was supposed to defeat some growing evil, but turned the offer down. He was no ones lapdog.

Now he wondered why she kept coming back when she knew he wouldn't do it. Why did she keep trying? In his own mind, Ganondorf did not need redemption, nor did he want it.

He sighed as he returned to staring at his prison, dreaming past dreams. "I want the power to be free," thought the Gerudo man, "but not if I become a slave to the Goddesses."

As Ganondorf thought about all this, he did not realize that DIN was still there, watching him. "One hundred years is enough," she said to herself, " now you will do as I have asked."

She materialized in front of him, her arms folded. Ganondorf attempted to ignore her, but couldn't when she spoke. Her voice always seemed to resound in ones mind.

"I have returned Triforce bearer."

"Go away!"

"You will want to hear this. The evil I told you about has chosen a title."

"Why the fuck should I care!"

DIN ignored him and continued. "The title he has chosen is Evil's King."

Ganondorf stood stock-still. His eye twitched, this was the last straw, and he was about to snap. And then, the straw broke, and all the built up frustration and rage burst forth.

"WHAAAAAT?" yelled Ganondorf, " HOW DARE THIS BLASPEHMER TAKE MY RIGHTFUL TITLE! I'LL RIP HIM APART! I'LL TEAR HIM OPEN AND LET THE MAGGOTS FEAST ON HIS ROTTING FLESH! I WILL BURN HIM, DROWN HIM, AND GIVE HELL WHATS LEFT OF HIS MANGLED BODY! I WILL FEAST UPON HIS SOUL!"

After Ganondorf shouted out more of what he would do to this "Evil's King", he turned to DIN.

"Send me to this world, Goddess! I will take you up on your offer. As long as I can kill this fool who dares to steal my title."

"So be it."

On that note, Ganondorf was engulfed in a white light. This light seemed to go on forever. He could feel himself losing consciousness. One last thought crossed Ganondorf's mind before he passed out.

'What the hell have I signed up for?'

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Sorry it's so short. The action doesn't start till part three. I have named it "The Ass Kicking". Whose ass gets kicked? You'll have to wait about a month for that bit of info. Seeya later! Please review.


	3. The Ass Kicking

Author's note: I have decided to stop putting up disclaimers because you all know I don't own Zelda. I would be very rich if I did. Any way, IT'S SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2003! IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! I AM NOW FIFTEEN! WOOOOOHOOOOO! In celebration of this, I am letting this chapter out a week early. Read and enjoy. I'm probably gonna keep putting up disclaimers anyway.

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The Ass Kicking

When Ganondorf awoke, he was lying on hard, cold ground. He got up, brushed off his cape, and examined himself. He didn't look different at all. The void he had resided in had stopped his aging as surely as the Triforce did. One thing he did notice, however, was hat his shadow lacked some substance to it. His expression irked a little at that, but it was a problem for another time. He had more pressing matters now. He spotted a city a mile or so away and walked towards it. It was a good as any other place to start.

The land he was walking in had little vegetation. It looked burned with a few craters here and there. In a few of these you could see a skeleton or a corpse. Ganondorf could swear that one of the corpses had its middle finger pointed up at the town as if in defiance.

"Something new every day." Ganondorf said under his breath. He was becoming bored with the quiet landscape as he walked towards the town. From his vantage point he could see two strange monsters guarding the gates. They were around six feet tall, stocky with brown, furry skin. Other than this they looked completely human. They each had a large broad sword strapped to their backs. Ganondorf smiled. Fun at last.

As Ganondorf walked up, one of the guards approached him. On closer inspection, Ganondorf saw that they had faces like that of a bear. A bear man, that was defenatly new. This place looked like it was going to hold many surprises

"Yus can't enter de town wit out a pass," said the bear man.

Ganondorf looked at him calmly, reached his hand up to the guard's face and ripped it off. "There's my pass," he said as the creature fell to the ground in agony. He dropped the bloody mess in his hand that used to be the bear man's face.

As this was happening, the other guard snuck behind Ganondorf and took a piece out of him with his sword. Actually, that's what would have happened if Ganondorf had still been there. He had left an after-image of himself and had reappeared behind the other bear man.

"You make too much noise." He just barely touched the guard and the monster burst into flames. His blood had been replaced with fire. He died painfully.

Ganondorf walked over to the other guard, now quite dead, and took his sword. It was a very fine blade that fit easily into his hand.

"Probably going to need this later."

With the minor annoyances out of the way, Ganondorf strolled into town. The inside of the town was bigger than it looked from afar. It had several shops and houses. Yet despite these signs of commercial wealth, the people looked haggard and wore rags.

He walked up to one of the shops and opened the door. In the shop was a small man that looked like he was in his mid-sixties. He looked up and said, "What can I do for you stranger?"

"I need some information."

The man looked at Ganondorf warely. "What kind of information?"

Ganondorf scowled a little. He didn't want to wait any time. "I need to know the whereabouts of the one who calls himself Evil's King."

The old man jumped at this. He looked around nervously before staring at Ganondorf with obvious fear. "Please leave my store sir, we're closing shop."

"What?" was all Ganondorf could say before he was shoved out of the store.

"I'll just ask someone else." Ganondorf got the same response from every person he asked. He was seriously considering blowing some stuff up when a troop of solders walked up to him.

"What do you want?"

The person who looked like the captain of the solders stepped forward. "We have witness accounts that you are the one responsible for the deaths of the bear men guards. You are under arrest."

"And what if I don't want to be under arrest?"

"Then you will be taken in by force!"

On that note, all the men rushed at Ganondorf. Ganondorf just looked at them, raised his hand, and released a wave of purple energy.

The skins of over half the guards just peeled off of their bodies, leaving a bloody and disgusting mess on the ground.

The soldiers stopped short. Their confidence and bravado was gone. Ganondorf did not waist this advantage. He took out his sword and faced the oncoming force. He blocked the sword of the first man who swung at him, and kicked a second one in the stomach. While the man hunched over in pain, Ganondorf kicked him again. This time, the man's head flew off. He punched the guard in front of him in the face and then ran his sword through his neck.

All that was left of the force were three grunts and the captain. The grunts then did the smart thing and ran away. Unfortunately it was a dumb thing to do because Ganondorf just snapped his fingers and the ground blew up beneath them. The guards were thrown into the air and had an unhealthy impact with ground some distance away.

Now only the captain was left. They stared off at each other, their sword's at the ready. Neither of them moved a muscle.

Suddenly a voice rang out. "Stand down captain, you're obviously no match for him."

The captain looked at the source of the voice and stuttered. "My… my lord!"

Ganondorf looked over as well. What he saw was what appeared to be a middle-aged man with shoulder-length, snow-white hair. He stood at around six foot two, one inch shorter than Ganondorf. He looked muscular and good-looking, if you ignored that fact his eyes were solid black.

He was wearing bright red battle armor with gold trimmings. Over his shoulders was a flowing green cloak held up by a blood red brooch. At his belt were two strange looking swords, one long, one short. Their shape was similar to a scimitar, though not as curved. Rather than an elaborate guard, each sword had only a metal disk separating the handle from the blade.

The man spoke with power in his voice. "Why do you come here, killing my men and wrecking my cities? What is your business here?"

Ganondorf smirked. This was obviously the guy he was looking for. "Point one," he said, "I killed your men because they were in my way. Point two, this city was wrecked when I got here. Point three, my business is with you."

"Oh really? And what have I done to anger one as powerful as yourself?"

"You might think it petty, but you took my title. I am Evil's King, not you."

The man looked amused, "Really? Well, I have no idea who you are, but that title is mine. If you wish it to be otherwise, then defeat me in battle!"

He turned to the captain. "Hold this." He tossed him the cloak and the brooch. He drew his long sword and went into his fighting stance. The two men just stared at each other a few seconds and the fight began.

The battle lasted five minutes. When their swords met, Ganondorf's had been sliced in half. This shocked Ganondorf only for a moment. He quickly recovered and gave his opponent a powerful uppercut. His fist plowed through the armour that the man was wearing and impacted his chest hard.

As the man hunched over, Ganondorf kneed him in the face. Ganondorf then jumped back and then fired black lightning at his enemy, only to have it bounce off a shield and reflected back at him!

"Not again!"

Ganondorf was struck by his own attack. The pain was excruciating. It felt like every atom in his body was exploding simultaneously. When it had stopped, Ganondorf fell to his knees clutching his side.

By this time, the white-haired man had gotten up. He looked at Ganondorf with anger, his handsome face was marred by his bent nose. A trail of blood leaked from it. "That hurt. No one hurts me!"

Ganondorf looked up. "You're pretty tough, I'll give you that. But you are no match for the Triforce of Power!"

He lifted himself off of the ground and lifted his right fist into the air. "You will now face the wrath of Ganon!"

"Is something supposed to happen?" asked Ganondorf's foe. He had snapped his nose back into position while Ganondorf had been shouting, sending more pain through his system and angering him further.

Ganondorf looked at him in confusion and then realized he had not transformed. "What? Why isn't it working?"

"Too bad," was all that his enemy said before he moved forward.

You could not even tell he had moved before he was in front of Ganondorf. He clamped his hand on Ganondorf's throat and lifted him off the ground. In his opposite hand he was gathering a huge amount of energy.

"Any last words before you die?" demanded Ganondorf's foe.

"Your nose is bleeding."

After that was said, the energy of Ganondorf's opponent was unleashed. The blast lifted Ganondorf into the air and far away from the city. The man with white hair retrieved his cloak from the captain and walked away.

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This was first attempt at a fight scene and I think I did pretty good. I would like to thank all those who have reviewed my story so far. I am thanking Mandude, Musicman, Madcow, AnievIII, and most of all, Saria. I am happy that an artist of your caliber and skill would even think about this rookies little story. I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart. Good Bye, please review.


	4. Origens and Eplanations

Authors note: They are coming. The one force that no being, whether it be angelic or demonic, can stop. They are here. They are. Finals! Yes, unfortunately, I have finals this week. It's a real pain. Anyway, despite all that, I have yet another chapter out for the public. Read and enjoy!

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Origins and Explanations

Ganon had been defeated. He lay there, broken and bloodied, unable to move his body. A figure stood before him, his sword raised. Lightning flashed, revealing the face of the person. It was Link.

Link raised his sword higher, about to strike. Ganondorf felt something he felt very rarely. He felt fear. "No! Not again! Please, not again! NOOOOOOOOO!" Link's sword came down, a strike that would cleave Ganondorf in two. At that instant, Ganondorf sat bolt upright, awakened in a cold sweat.

He was in a plain room with little decoration. It was mostly wood, except the floor appeared to be some form of granite. The light sound of footsteps approached the room. The door opened to reveal a little girl. She ran over to him and said, " Are you all right? I heard screaming."

Ganondorf held his head in his hand. "Where am I?"

"You're in Hillonds Door. I found you in the fields outside the village. I thought you might need some help."

"How did I get here?" Ganondorf mumbled through his hand. He ached all over.

"There was a big flash of light. When I went over to investigate, I found you in a crater. I got some help to get you here."

Ganondorf attempted to arise, but found that his legs betrayed him. He then became aware of his wounds. The shallowness of his breathing indicated that his ribs were broken. He could not move his left arm, but it did not feel not feel shattered, so he assumed that his shoulder was dislocated. Every time he moved, he found another cut or bruise. He was a wreck of a man, but alive.

"Careful!" said the girl, "You're still injured."

Ganondorf looked at the girl's face. She must have been around twelve or so. She was staring at him with concern in her eyes. No one had ever expressed concern for

Ganondorf's well being before, he was surprised and a little confused.

"How long have I been out?" He said placing his hand back to his side.

"Around three days. How do you feel?"

"I'm starving."

The girl giggled a little. "I figured you would be so I brought you some food."

Ganondorf looked at the table beside his bed. On it there was a bowl of soup and a plate of bread. Ganondorf immediately started to eat. He tore into the meal, manners forgotten with his body craving sustenance. He hadn't noticed just how famished he really was.

"Is it good?" asked the little girl. Ganondorf looked at her a little bit and said, " Yes," he paused a second and then added a tad awkwardly, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." said the girl smiling. She then looked at his injuries. "How did you get you get all those cuts and bruises?"

Ganondorf looked up from his plate, a little annoyed at the question. "I got beat up."

"By who?"

"Some idiot with white hair."

"Do you mean King Finis?"

"Is that his name?" Ganondorf asked interested, his attention taken from the remains of his meal.

"Yes, but I don't know much about him. The elder can tell you more. He's coming over to check on your wounds."

Suddenly, Ganondorf heard the front door open. A kindly looking old man in brown robes walked in shortly after. He had a long grey beard and his skin was wrinkled. In his arms were various herbs of different shapes and sizes. They stained his dark brown robes with a tint of green as he set them down on the same table where Ganondorf's food had been.

"Ah, so you're finally awake I see. How are you faring?"

"Could be better."

"It could also be much worse. You're lucky May found you. If she hadn't then you most likely would have died."

"I have a few questions."

"Feel free to ask but first, please grace us with your name." The old man said while placing a hand on Ganondorf's unusable shoulder.

"My name is Ganonowww!"

"Sorry, just thought I should put your shoulder back into place."

Ganondorf rubbed his shoulder a bit and then continued, "My name is Ganondorf. What is yours?"

"My name is Ragnen. Now, you had some questions."

"Yes, who is this Finis person?"

"You're not from around here are you?"

"No."

"All right. Finis was once an inhabitant on the island of Magstros. He was trained to be a mage, but soon grew too powerful. The inhabitants, fearing his power, banished him from the island. They then put a barrier around the island, so that he could never return. This made him bitter. So he traveled to Kyteria and enslaved the people, taking out his rage on us. The people named him "Evil's King" and he embraced the title, making it something for his enemies in other nations to fear. All who have opposed him have failed. Why, no one has even managed to hurt him before."

"Then I guess I was the first." Ganondorf said with smug pride.

"You fought him!"

"I believe I broke his nose"

"Truly incredible. You must be very powerful."

"I was still defeated." Ganondorf grumbled, his smugness dissipating with the sobering truth.

"True, but you managed to damage him. That in itself is a feat."

"Is their anything else you can tell me?" Ganondorf asked quickly, not wanting to linger on his failure to kill Finis.

"Yes. To regulate his armies, Finis has five generals. One in the mountains, one in the dessert, one in the chain lakes, one in the valleys, and one here in the hill lands."

"Tell me about the general here."

"He is a powerful vampire that goes by the name Myotus. He demands an offering of ten tons of iron and copper from our mines every two months. The hill lands supply most of the metal for all of Kyteria. Finis knows this and that is why he taxes us so extremely.

Now I think you need to rest a little more. Please, sleep."

With his explanation finished, Ragnen left the room, taking May along with him. Ganondorf lay down and eventually fell asleep, and as Ganondorf slept, he dreamed.

In this dream, a certain Goddess visited him. "You were beaten Triforce bearer."

Ganondorf looked up, annoyed. "Oh great, I'm having another nightmare." It was on that note that an electric shock went through Ganondorf's body. "Owwwww!"

"This is not a dream Gerudo."

"I get that."

"You were…"

"Beaten, yes I know."

"Why?"

"The Triforce wouldn't work."

"That is because I have blocked you from it."

"WHAAAAAT! Why the hell did you do that!"

Ganondorf could have sworn he saw DIN smirk, "Redemption does not come that easily, dark one. You will have your Triforce back, when you defeat all of the general's of Finis."

"What are you saying?"

"I am saying that you will have to earn the Triforce of Power this time. Instead of stealing it like you did originally."

"No, I'm not going to do that." Electricity went through Ganondorf's body once again. "Owwww! WOULD YOU STOP DOING THAT!"

"We have an agreement and you will fulfill your side of the bargain. Now, rest Ganondorf. You will need your strength in the battles to come."

DIN left Ganondorf's mind then, and Ganondorf dreamt unusually peaceful dreams.

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Well, that's another one out of the way. Now, to respond to the reviews.

RI2: You were right. I did have an explanation to the Triforce. There is a method for my madness. Either that or I'm just crazy.

Musicman: Here's your humor. There will be lots more to come in the future. You can count on that. Thank you for the birthday greeting.

Saira: You really like it? I'm so happy now! Gets up and does happy dance Please keep reading my story. I'm sorry that I have not been able to read your stories recently but school makes things difficult. Winter break is coming though, I will have time then. Thanks for the birthday greeting.

The Pixel: Hi Pixel, nice hearing from you. Thank you for your comments. I will see you at school. You better prepare for the finals.

Madcow: I know, I know. I will work on emotions with the people I write. I was just counting on the fact that most grunts are idiots.

TemplarofNi: Thank you for giving me my first flame. Just saying though, this is my story and whether or not I wish to redeem Ganondorf is my choice. He will be going through all sorts of crap before he gets to Finis again and you had better just deal with it. Also, is the reason that you do not like the idea is because you are a die hard Zelda fan who believes that Ganondorf should be locked up forever, or do you think bad guys should stay bad? Please respond to this in your next review.

My next chapter will be in a few weeks. Please review.


	5. Party Crashing

Authors note: I don't own Zelda. There, I said it. Now, on to the important stuff. Like the shortage in reviews. I only got one for the last chapter (and to you, I thank greatly). I know more people are reading this. Please post what you think when you read. Do you love/hate/don't care what I write? Please review. Now that that is done, read and enjoy.  
  
Party Crashing  
  
Ganondorf spent the next few days recovering. While he recovered, May visited and took care of him. Ganondorf was soon completely healed, thanks to May's attentions.  
  
Ganondorf walked around the village called Hillonds Door. The people were preparing for some kind of festival. That really didn't concern him now. What concerned him was his armor.  
  
May had told him that they had given his armour to the blacksmith to repair. He hoped it would be done by now. He walked over to a house that had a sign with a hammer and anvil on it. When he opened the door he was greeted by one of the biggest men he had ever seen.  
  
The man was not really tall, but he was stocky. His shoulders must have been five feet from side to side. "Hello!" greeted the big man.  
  
"Hi." said Ganondorf a little awkwardly. "I'm here about my armour."  
  
"So this magnificent armor belongs to you then?"  
  
"Yes, it was damaged by my fall."  
  
"Not extremely. Whoever made this was a master. I only had to buff out a few dents and repair a few cuts. The only thing that really needed any attention was the chest plate. That one was the most damaged, almost as if a bomb had exploded on it. Any way, it's all repaired now."  
  
The blacksmith pointed to the corner. In the corner was Ganondorf's armor and it was completely repaired. Gannandorf walked over to it and proceeded to put it on.  
  
"By the way. May handed me this chunk of a sword, would you like that to be repaired also?"  
  
"Sure why not?" said Ganondorf as he was putting on his chest plate. The sword was not all that important. It had been beaten and was thus completely useless to him. If the blacksmith wanted to he could repair it but Ganondorf really didn't care.  
  
The blacksmith asked another question, "I was wondering, are you going to stay for the blue moon festival?"  
  
"The what?"  
  
"The blue moon festival. Every four years the moon turns blue. It is celebrated as a sign of prosperity. You should stay for it, I think May would enjoy that."  
  
May? That little girl? I had planned on leaving as soon as possible, I guess I can stay for a while longer, Thought Ganondorf. Then he said "Sure I'll stay for a little bit."  
  
"Oh, and you don't have to worry about paying, the elder did it for you."  
  
I wonder why he did that, oh well, if he wants to pay the bill then I'll let him, less for me to do. Thought Ganondorf  
  
With his armour back, Ganondorf set out to learn some more about this vampire general. He only learned a little, but it was enough.  
  
It seems this Myotus was larger then the conventional vampire. Perhaps half as much so. He was one of the older, more powerful breed then the modern kind. Finis had granted him enough power to survive even the light of day. He was a ruthless swordsman when he was human and his evil became even worse when he became undead. He was, by all means, a nightmare given flesh. Or so the rumors whispered by frightened mouths told the King of Evil.  
  
So this guy is some kind of badass, thought Ganondorf.  
  
Anyway, the festival was not going to happen for a few more hours so Ganondorf went out exploring the village and the general countryside.  
  
The village was fairly large, not huge but bigger then most little towns. It was situated almost at the very front of the Hill lands. Further on, you could see lots of mining camps with little huts here and there. There was a forest a long ways off to the west of the mines. Lastly, almost directly north of the village, was a large, rundown castle. It was around five miles walking distance. It had a creepy feel to it that Ganondorf did not like at all.  
  
When Ganondorf got back from his little expedition, he found that the festival was almost ready to begin. He saw May running around as if she was looking for something. When she saw him, she ran over. When she got there she said, "Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you, the festival is about to start."  
  
Ganondorf just looked down at her and they started walking toward the village square. When they got there, Ganondorf saw several booths and games. Ganondorf's attention was immediately brought to the booth selling beer.  
  
The reason for this is that after a hundred years of being sober, he really needed a cold one. He quickly purchased a mug of ale and started to drink. As he was drinking, he noticed how happy everyone was. He had never really been to any kind of local celebration. Sure, there had been some Gerudo holidays, but since he was king he was never really allowed to participate in any of them.  
  
Ganondorf was actually enjoying himself. It was probably because of the beer, or maybe it was because May's cheery attitude was rubbing off on him. She was always smiling, always so happy. Suddenly, Ganondorf stepped back. He was feeling a tiny pinprick of protectiveness - an emotion that was alien to him. He watched the girl in her joyful element and knew that somehow he would not let anything or anyone harm her. Ganondorf quickly wrote this off to the beer. I mean, it had been a long time since he had any alcoholic beverage. Maybe it was getting to him already.  
  
It was then that a noise was heard at the opposite direction of the festival. It was not a happy noise, it was the noise of wood crashing apart. Ganondorf looked up and saw what appeared to be a creature that looked a lot like a moblin, only this thing had wings. There were five bear men with him.  
  
It turned to the crowd and said, "On the orders of lord general Myotus, this festival is herby cancelled. All food and money will be confiscated. All those who resist will be killed immediately. "  
  
"Why is the festival cancelled?" shouted one villager.  
  
The winged moblin looked toward the crowd smirking and said, "Because Lord Myotus thinks your all making to much noise. Now, no more questions."  
  
On that note, all the bear men began collecting all the food and put it in a large, horse-drawn cart. The winged moblin looked at Ganondorf (who was still sipping on his beer and completely ignoring everything going on around him) and walked over to him.  
  
He looked at Ganondorf and said, "Did you hear anything I just said? Hand over all your money!"  
  
Ganondorf just continued drinking his beer, much to the winged moblin's annoyance. "Hey, did you hear me or not!?!" it said, slapping away Ganondorf's beer.  
  
May looked up and said, " Leave him alone, you big stupid idiot!"  
  
The creature picked her off the ground and said, "Someone should teach you some manners, you little brat!" He was about to strike May in the face but couldn't because a strong hand had grabbed his arm. It was Ganondorf's.  
  
"You spilled my drink." he said calmly.  
  
"So what! I'm a gornoid in Myotus's army, I can do what I want!" was all the thing said.  
  
Ganondorf acted like he did not hear him and said, "I really wanted to finish that drink." Ganondorf reached up to the arm holding May and crushed it at the elbow.  
  
The guard dropped May with a yell. Ganondorf flipped him over his shoulder and into one of the booths. The thing looked at the bear men and yelled, "What the hell are you waiting for?! Kill him!"  
  
All the bear men rushed at Ganondorf. They didn't stand a chance. Ganondorf chanted a little spell and they just seemed to vanish. All that was left was there armour and clothes.  
  
Ganondorf then turned his attention to the gornoid, who was looking at him in a horrified expression. Ganondorf levitated him into the air and walked a little ways outside the village. Interrogation had begun.  
  
Well, that was interesting. Is Ganondorf changing, or was it really just the beer? He seemed sober enough when he crushed the gornoid's arm. I was wondering, is there any way to make the font different? It would make it a lot easier to do then saying, "he thought" all the time. If anyone can tell me, please do. Anyway, I want to hold a contest. Can you tell me what I got Finis's name from(hint: foreign language). Also, can you tell me what swords Finis was using? I will tell you if you were right in the next chapter. Sayonara!!!! 


	6. Interrogation

Authors note: NOOOOOOOOOOOO! VACATION ALMOST OVER!!! AAAAAAAAH!!!! Sorry, had to get that out of my system. Anyway, I don't own Zelda. There, I said it! YOU CAN'T SUE ME NOW!!!! Sorry, I'm more than a little hyper today. I apologize for updating so late. I had a little cold and it kept me occupied most of the vacation. Seriously, you never get it on a school day but as soon as vacation roles around, you get something. Now, I have a warning. This chapter is creepy. It is a torture scene. If you can't handle torture scenes, don't read it. You, really don't have to. Also, I think I wrote this one a little better than my other ones. Read and enjoy.  
  
Interrogation  
  
The villagers did not follow Ganondorf, so they did not see what he was doing. The screams of the gornoid however, were quite apparent. They echoed throughout the village. They scared everyone, and it did not really help Ganondorf's reputation. Everybody thought he was some kind of madman, opposing Myotus's men like that. Did he want to die? Now that this had happened, Myotus would probably come with his main army and wreck the town. What a fool that man was!  
  
It's actually a good thing that the villagers did not see what Ganondorf was doing or they might have thought him some kind of monster. Lets start at the beginning.  
  
Ganondorf dropped the gornoid roughly on the ground. The thing tried to get up, but couldn't because something invisible had lashed his ankles together. The same thing had been done to the wrists.  
  
Ganondorf looked down upon the hapless creature and said, "I need some information."  
  
"Piss off!"  
  
Ganondorf looked at the gornoid with a gentle smile and said calmly, "Oh good, you're going to defy me."  
  
Compared to the brutish torture techniques of his superiors, the gornoid found Ganondorf's calm words to be truly frightening. Here was an entity that never told a lie about pain.  
  
Ganondorf reached toward the creature's temple and with his index finger, gently touched his face.  
  
"Owwwww!!!! What did you do?!!" screamed the gornoid.  
  
"That was one nerve ending. The exquisite pain was bearable only because it was one, but here."  
  
Ganandorf touched the creature's wrist. It struggled not to cry out.  
  
"That was five nerve endings, one at the wrist, one at the temple, the knee, the ankle and." he paused, "left earlobe I think. Now just think what it will be like when there are ten more nerve endings involved, each one on fire, a tiny pinprick defying your body's command to behave. Then think what it will be like when there are ten more, and ten more until your whole body is on fire. And remember, I love my job."  
  
The Gornoid had never believed that anything could be more frightening than Myotus, but here it was, smiling benignly at him, absolutely overpowering him. The Gornoid tried to muster some defiance, go out fighting. "Go to Hell."  
  
"Surely you can do better than that, and besides I've already been." Ganandorf pressed his hand over the Gornoid's. To the casual observer, it might have looked like a friendly gesture, until the Gornoid writhed away screaming.  
  
"Good," said Ganandorf. "Now, do you have a name? It's always more fun to torture a friend."  
  
The Gornoid, in spite of himself, found that he wanted to please this terrifying, gentle monster. "We don't have names, I am Captain 22 of the third regiment."  
  
"Oh that will never do. I'm going to christen you Lumpy." With that he touched Lumpy's knee and 42 nerve endings went screaming to their demise. The fire traveled up some of them to infect others.  
  
"The fire that you feel, is from Black Lightening. Normally it is an extremely large attack, but, as you see, I can focus it to a pinprick and what a beautiful pinprick it is."  
  
"Wha. What are you?" asked lumpy in a terrified voice.  
  
"I am fear, your fear." Ganondorf then touched the back of Lumpy's neck, and fire once again spread through out his body, killing 64 nerve endings as it went. The gornoid screamed in pain.  
  
"I don't know how much more you can take. You might die with the next one, but please don't, I want to have more fun."  
  
Ganondorf placed his hand on Lumpy's chest. The pain once again spread through, this time killing 142 nerve endings. This time it wasn't a scream, it was a full-fledged shriek, echoing through out the night, foreboding terror and darkness in its wake.  
  
The gornoid couldn't take it anymore, the pain, the promise of more pain, and this horrifying man in front of him was just too much to bear.  
  
"I'll tell you anything, just don't hurt me anymore!" lumpy screamed.  
  
"Of course," responded Ganondorf, "I wouldn't dream of it, as long as you tell me what I want to know.  
  
"Now first question, where is Myotus located and how large is his army?"  
  
The gornoid, still shaky, replied, "he is located in the castle outside of town. His army has a good three thousand soldiers, give or take."  
  
"What makes up his army, are they of the living, or the dead?"  
  
"The army is made up of about three hundred gornoid's, one thousand bear men, three hundred lesser vampires, one hundred higher vampires, five hundred gargoyles, six hundred orcs, and two hundred fire demons."  
  
"So he has only about two thousand men who are not undead. That makes things a little harder."  
  
He unlocked the spell holding Lumpy's hands and feet together but the gornoid had a hard time moving.  
  
"What happened to me?!?"  
  
Ganondorf looked at him smiling and said, "It appears that I burned out quite a few of your nerves beyond repair, you will be crippled for the rest of your life. I have something for you though, a gift for giving me that information."  
  
Ganondorf chanted a little spell and tapped the gornoid's head. It keeled over, not breathing. Ganondorf looked down upon the still form and said, "The gift of a quick death."  
  
With that done, Ganondorf slowly walked back to the village.  
  
Well, that's done. Ganondorf is still badass. I thank all those who have reviewed. And to answer your question, yes. It could have been subtler. I am speaking to the one who has titled him (or her) self as ran out of pronouns. The deal is though; I am still new to this. Thus, things may seem sloppy or rushed compared to some people's standards. Also, why has no one tried guessing what kind of swords Finis was using? If you get it right, I will tell you. Hint, they are from an island. Sayonara! 


	7. Supplies and a Sword

Authors note: I don't own Zelda. Everything else is mine though. This chapter is just a bridge between the torture and actually going to the castle, so, in my opinion, it is not as good as the other chapters. Also, it brings up a few things that will be important in the future. Lastly, all thoughts will be done like this. 'thought'. When something has those on it, it means that the person is thinking it and not saying it. Read and enjoy!  
  
Supplies and a Sword  
  
'That wasn't as fun as it usually is', thought Ganondorf as he walked back toward the village. He used to always get a kick out of how his victim squirmed under his power, so why wasn't it as satisfying as it was before? He disregarded this thought as he walked into the village. His welcome was not a happy one.  
  
The villagers were looking at him with fear, anger and confusion. One of the bigger males walked up to him and said, "You're a dumbass, you know that! Myotus is going to notice when his troops don't get back and when he does, we are all going to die!"  
  
Ganondorf looked at the man. He sighed and said, "You will not have to worry about Myotus for much longer."  
  
"Oh? And why is that?" said the man with a sarcastic tone.  
  
Ganondorf replied quietly, "Because, I am going to kill him." And with that, Ganondorf left the man (who had a stunned expression on his face) and went to the trading post.  
  
Ganondorf opened the door and said, "Hey shop owner. I need some supplies."  
  
"And those would be?"  
  
"I need two weeks rations, three coils of rope, four water containers, a bag to put them all in, and any magic enhancers if you have them."  
  
"I have most of the stuff you want, but the magic enhancers will be difficult. All the powerful ones were confiscated and most were destroyed. I only have some weak ones left in stock. Wait, hold on, I might have something." The man went to the back of the shop and noises began of things being moved around. The man came back holding a black box with a silver dragon's head on it.  
  
"I had totally forgotten about this." He said walking back to the desk. He blew the dust off the box and said, "This amulet has the ability to increase magic. It starts off as a fairly average enhancer, but there is something different. This amulet was made with the tooth and scales of a golden dragon. It has the power to grow if it deems you are worthy of holding it, and I don't mean worthy as in pure, I mean worthy as in if it thinks you are. It is a very picky item. All my former customers just ignored it because it ignored them. It will work as an average, but if it acknowledges you, it will give you awesome power. It may take time for it to do that, if it does it at all."  
  
"I'll take it." Was all that Ganondorf said.  
  
"Very well, that will be seven hundred in gold for everything."  
  
Ganondorf rummaged in his pouch for a second and then brought up a glowing silver-blue stone. He placed it on the desk of the shop owner and said, "This stone is called a Moons Tear. They are very rare and are actually from the moon. I believe it will cover the cost of the supplies?"  
  
The man had an ecstatic look on his face. He quickly snatched the gem and said, "Oh yes, this will do nicely. When do you want everything?"  
  
"I want all the rations, ropes, and water in about five days. If I am back sooner, then I will want them then. I will take the amulet now."  
  
"But, of course." Said the owner. He handed the box to Ganondorf. When he opened it, it revealed a leather string with a small golden circle attached to it. The circle had a picture of a dragon's head on it, as well as an inscription, but Ganondorf had no idea what it said. Neither did the shop owner.  
  
"You can keep the box too."  
  
"Why would I want the box?"  
  
"The box can hold in a powerful magic. Also, it is rumored to be able to contain and suppress evil spirits. It could be useful to you."  
  
With his shopping done, Ganondorf left the store. What met him on his way out was Ragnen. Ragnen looked him in the eye and said, "Your going to battle with Myotus, aren't you?"  
  
"Yes, I have a job to do and he is in the way of completing it."  
  
"Very well, if you must go, then go. But please come back when you're done. May would like that."  
  
Ganondorf looked at Ragnen and said, " There is something that you aren't telling me isn't there?"  
  
Ragnen looked startled, then he sighed and said, "Yes, there is. I didn't tell you earlier because I didn't want to upset May. She doesn't want you to go."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because you remind her of her father."  
  
"How does that fit into anything?"  
  
"May's parents were ordered to death by Myotus for rebelling against him. You are a proud man who doesn't seem to bow down to anyone. Much like May's father. You even look like him a little."  
  
Ganondorf thought about this for little bit, then he said, "Tell her i'm coming back."  
  
Ragnen acknowledged this and then said "Oh, the smith says he has something for you. You might want to go over there and pick it up." With that, Ragnen turned and left.  
  
Ganondorf started to walk to the smithy. What could the smith possibly want to give him? The thought was still fresh in Ganondorf's mind as he opened the door of the smith's workshop.  
  
The big man turned to him and said, "I finished it just now, your new sword." The smith said, handing Ganondorf the blade. It was about the same size it was when it was whole, only it seemed lighter, more easily moved than it was before.  
  
"What's so special about this sword, it seems just like the old one."  
  
The smith chuckled a bit and said, "Oh, it is most definitely not like the old one. You'll see what I mean later."  
  
"Fine. Then what do I owe you?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I know you're going to fight Myotus. I also know you have a good chance of beating him. I want you to use that sword when you kill him. He took on of my best friends away from me."  
  
Ganondorf thought for a bit and said, "This friend, would he happen to be May's father?"  
  
"Yeah, how'd you know?"  
  
"Just a guess."  
  
With all that he needed, Ganondorf left the village in the direction of Myotus's castle.  
  
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First off, I would like to congratulate Saira for answering the questions correctly. Yes, the name Finis means end, and yes, the swords are Japanese style. You're really smart, you know ^_^. I would also like to thank all who have reviewed so far. Oh, before I forget. Commando 64, I really enjoy our conversations. You are fun to talk to ^_^. I would also like to thank two of my favorite author's for reviewing. Gold Sky and Lady obsessed. Two of the best author's around! I would also like to thank angelwing. What you said really means a lot to me. That's all for now. Read and review! Sayonara! 


	8. For You, Another Day

Authors note: Very few reviews. Oh, and I don't own Zelda. I would like to thank Linda of Lorule for talking to me. I guess you could say this chapter is dedicated to her since no one else really reviewed accept Commando 64 and Bobonwonsuni. So I guess this is dedicated to them too. This is kinda short, but I think it is better than the last one. My updates are gonna take longer now that I have stopped doing community service and am going back into school. But I will update as much as I am able. Read and enjoy.  
  
For You, Another Day  
  
Ganondorf slowly walked toward the castle, calmly thinking up a plan of action. Now Ganondorf is by no means a stupid man. He knew full well that no matter how strong he is, he could not take on three thousand solders up front.  
  
He pondered what to do until he was around one mile away from the castle. Ganondorf weighed his options.  
  
If he went charging in through the front door, blasting everything that was moving, then he would soon be over taken by all the guards. If he went in the back way and tried to sneak in, he would soon be hopelessly lost and waste a lot of time. If he tried to levitate up to the top tower, he would waste too much energy and would not be able to beat Myotus.  
  
What Ganondorf needed was a diversion. Something to empty out the tower so he could get in unhindered. The only problem with this was that Ganondorf could not summon enough monsters to drain out most of the castle. At most, he could only summon around two hundred stalfos.  
  
"Damn, how am I going to do this?" Ganondorf asked no one.  
  
It was at this point that Ganondorf noticed the malevolence in the air. Swirling hatred and anger all pointed at one place. The castle.  
  
"It seems Myotus pissed off quite a few people before he killed them." Said Ganondorf. Then he got an idea. 'If I can't summon an army out of thin air, then I'll just summon one that's already here.'  
  
Ganondorf placed his hands together and got ready to say the words. Now, to one for whom magic is second nature, words are not really necessary. But this was not just the simple torture of one sub human, nor was it basic combat. This was undoing the work of decades.  
  
Ganondorf began to speak the words.  
  
"It is for you, another day  
  
A day you never thought you would see  
  
It is for you, another day  
  
Stand up and join with me  
  
It is for you, another day  
  
Make your body straight and tall  
  
It is for you, another day  
  
Rise up, and he shall fall"  
  
When those last words were spoken, the magic Ganondorf had been channeling went straight into the ground. The amulet around his neck glowed as if it was impressed. But Ganondorf did not notice that, for something strange had happened to the land. It started glowing with eerie green mist. Then, shapes started to form out of the glowing mist. The shapes formed into humanoid figures, but the figures were anything but human. They were spirits that wished revenge.  
  
They were of varying shapes and sizes. Some were big and some were small. Some were male and some were female. Some were human in life and others were not.  
  
There were animals, humans, gornoid's and bear men. Also a few other things that Ganondorf had no idea what they were. There were thousands of them in all.  
  
After they had all fully formed, Ganondorf spoke. "I have brought you all here today for a very important reason. We all have a mutual enemy. The vampire that lives in that castle." There was a resounding growl from all spirits present. When they had finished, Ganondorf continued, "Yes, I know that you despise him. I tell you now, that if you all go to fight him directly, you will all be beaten down into submission. I have the power to destroy Myotus once and for all. But I cannot do it alone. His army is too vast. That is why I ask you now. Will you help me?"  
  
The collective sound of thousands of voices yelling "Yes!" was almost deafening. Ganondorf almost had to cover his ears. When it had died down, Ganondorf yelled, "Then fight his army so that I can destroy him!"  
  
Every one was cheering. Ganondorf smirked.  
  
He had his army.  
  
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I admit it. I got the idea for this from Return of the King (I don't own that either). The next chapter will have a shocking twist that I don't think anyone will be expecting. That's all for now. Read and review! Sayonara! 


	9. My Shadow

Authors note: This is most likely the earliest I have ever updated. Remember, all thoughts are done like this. 'Thought'. Oh yeah, before I forget, I don't own Zelda. School is a pain in the ass! You never have any free time for writing and you never have any time to read those really long stories that you have been dying to read for ages. If it wasn't for the unusual increase in reviews I have gotten, I would most likely be driven insane. In short, I wish I had more time to write. Now that I am done complaining, please read and enjoy!

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My Shadow

Ganondorf smirked. He had his army. Now all he needed was someone to lead them to battle.

He couldn't do it. He had to sneak in while the armies were fighting. This caused a slight damper in his plans. _'I wouldn't trust a Stalfos to lead them, they are all untrustworthy. I don't have time to select a worthy general from the mass of spirits here. Why can't things be easy for once?' _

_"Use me." _Said a ghostly voice out of nowhere. Ganondorf jumped and looked around. The spirits were still talking to each other, getting ready for battle. None of them had spoken to him since they had let out the cheer. So, who could have said that?

_"Call me,"_ said the voice again. _"Call me, and I will serve."_

Ganondorf then realized who was talking to him. The only person who could speak to him without other's hearing what was said. The only one who was so close to him that physical distance was meaningless. He nodded in confirmation. " Yes, I call you, my shadow."

With that said, Ganondorf released the seal. Immediately, a dark shadow started to take shape. It grew more and more human looking until it was fully formed. A tall figure walked in from the shadows. It was wearing black armour and had a cape. He had a toned body with lots of muscle. His weapon was a double-sided trident that gave off an otherworldly light. His face, with its glowing red eyes, was a skull with a set of pointed horns atop his forehead.

As Phantom Ganon moved forward, Ganondorf began to smile. That smile faded abruptly however, when Phantom Ganon punched Ganondorf in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

"You left me!" screamed Phantom Ganon, his face full of anger and hurt. "You left me in that hell! Why? Why did you do that!"

All this took Ganondorf aback. He didn't worry about Phantom Ganon killing him. Even without the Triforce of Power he was much stronger than this mere shadow. It's actions, however, were making him nervous in more ways then one.

Smoothly getting off the ground, Ganondorf responded, " You failed to defeat a teenager, why would I need to keep a failure?"

"That's a lie!" accused Phantom Ganon. "I know you had some other reason! Tell me! Why did you abandon me? Please tell me!"

Ganondorf looked at his shadow and sighed. Talking about his emotions always made him uncomfortable. "I sent you away because Link would have killed you if I had not. One more strike of his holy blade would have destroyed you beyond repair. I had no intention of leaving you in that place forever. I just was preoccupied at the time."

"What could be more important than a part of yourself?" Phantom Ganon growled. "Why didn't you release me sooner? You have no idea what it was like to be, trapped in that darkness, away from the rest of myself. Away from being whole!"

Ganondorf was now really angry. "HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT! I have been trapped in the Sages seal for one hundred years, away from daylight, away from you, completely closed off from feeling the world! I too, longed to be whole with you again, but the magic of the sages prevented me from breaking your seal! Don't tell me I don't know what its like! I understand it even better than you do! My seal was much stronger than yours!"

Now it was Phantom Ganon's turn to be taken aback. _'He went through the same as me? Wait a second, he WANTED to be one with me again?'_

Ganondorf stared at Phantom Ganon for a bit and said, "I think we need to talk."

The two moved to a clearing near by and sat down. They stared at each other for a few minutes in silence. Eventually, Phantom Ganon broke it.

"So, what's happened so far?"

Ganondorf told him everything. About the fall of his generals after Phantom Ganon was banished, about his defeat at the hands of Link, about his banishment and Din's offer, and about his beating from Finis to his meeting with May. He told his shadow all that had occurred up to the point were he summoned the army of ghost's.

"A lot has happened ever since I got sealed."

"That's only part of it. As you know, I'm being forced by Din herself to kill all of Finis's general's. One of them is in that castle." Ganondorf pointed at the looming structure in the distance. "He has around three thousand solders, hence the ghostly army I summoned, who, I might add, are becoming restless."

"So what do you want me to do?"

"I want you to lead this army against Myotus's army to drain the castle. Then I sneak in and kill Myotus."

"But what will happen to me at the end of it? What do I get out of this?"

Ganondorf thought for a few seconds. He knew what this shadow wanted. Really though, what Phantom Ganon wanted and what Ganondorf wanted were not very different. " How about we become one again? Fill up that gap that we both have been feeling. If I survive this, I will join us together. How does that sound?"

"Nothing would make me happier." Phantom Ganon said as he stood up. "I will lead this army, and you will go kill this vampire."

With that, they went in different directions. Phantom Ganon went toward the army, while Ganondorf went toward the castle.

Ganondorf whistled some nameless tune smiling cheerfully that things were going so well.

"Things are finally looking up!"

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I feel a lot better now. Was that an interesting enough twist for you, my beloved audience? I sincerely thank all who have reviewed. It means a lot to me. I will try to update once every week, but with school here, who knows? The action starts up again in the next chapter. Seeya later! Sayonara!


	10. A Door of Riddles and a Talk With a Demo

Author's notes: See Winged Knight eating a bowl of ramen. He looks up What?!? You're here already?! But I just started eating! The fic is on the kitchen counter. Please don't wreck my house. I just finished making it. I like it the way it is. Don't mind Miya (she's the pet dragon I got from Dragonlady) she won't bite. I wouldn't suggest bringing shiny objects near her though. She gets just a tad possessive. She is still a baby, so you really do not have to worry. Remember, all thoughts are done like this. 'Thought.' Please read and enjoy. Oh, and I don't own Zelda.

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A Door of Riddles and a Talk With a Demon

Phantom Ganon lead his ghostly troops out toward the Castle in an orderly fashion. In response, another army filed out from the fortress. It was made up of all kinds of creatures. The unmistakable green faces of Orcs, all of them holding a different kind of weapon ranging from axes to whips. The furry, muzzled faces of Bear Men, each carrying a large sword. The limber humanoids with red, spiked hair that could only be fire demons, every one of them with an aura of flame and destruction. Those were only the ground troops; quite a few monsters had taken to the air the air. Gornoid's with their piggish faces and large bat wings made formations in the sky, each carrying a large spear. Rockish bodies with stone wings and beaked faces showed the presence of Gargoyles, all of them with war hammers or spiked maces.

The monstrous army settled into formation around two hundred meters from the castle, preparing they're weapons for war. Out in front was what appeared to be a human, but was in actuality a creature of the night.

This creature was in fact the second in command of the castle, next in line only to Myotus himself. He was one of the highest breeds of vampire, with bloodless pale skin and long boney fingers; the aura of strength coming off him was palpable. He stood at around six feet wearing green armour, his eyes slanted into a pointed glare. His hair was a greasy pitch black and completely straight, hanging down and stopping just below the shoulders. The only apparent weapons on him were two sheathed scimitars on his back. He stood calmly, as if all was right with the world.

It took longer than one would suspect for the two opposing armies to actually meet. The ghost army took a whole ten minutes to reach them, which is actually quite impressive seeing as they were a few miles away from each other originally. When they did meet though, it was a spectacular sight.

Phantom Ganon immediately took on the second in command, who had his scimitars out by now. They struck at each other repeatedly, sparks flying from they're colliding weapons. The vampire may have had more weapons, but Phantom Ganon had more reach. The battle was locked evenly between there opposing powers, both of them flowing from one strike to the next in an uninterrupted dance of death.

Their dance was indeed uninterrupted, for both armies were giving them a wide berth, not wanting to get hit by the powerful forces. Several meters were granted to them for their confrontation, plenty of space for a battle.

All around them though, a colossal brawl raged. Ghosts were in different places all the time, never staying still. Some were in the air, battling the sky troops of the castle. The rest were on the ground, each taking on a member of the opposing army. Only the more powerful ones could take on the fire demons. Those infernal beings were burning every spirit in their way. Some of the ghost's though, were able to fight them evenly. Swords, spears, and fire flew in every direction. This was a battle that legends were made from.

Off to the side, Ganondorf looked on in awe. It had been so many years since he had seen a war; now his adrenaline was pumping like mad. He snapped out of his reverie quickly. After all, he had a job to do. He ran toward the direction of the castle, staying far enough away to avoid being seen and hugging the dark as closely as one would hug a lover.

When Ganondorf eventually got there, he saw that the gates were closed and locked. He smirked at this futile attempt to keep him out. This, after all, wouldn't be too difficult. He simply pushed the obstruction and the gates came flying open, revealing the castle within.

It was all that you would expect an old castle to be. It was dark and dreary and you felt miserable as soon as you stepped into it. Moss grew on the floor, trampled by the solders march. Water dripped from the ceiling and the air was musky and heavy. The place was foreboding, the atmosphere dark.

Ganondorf quickly closed the gates and welded them shut with a tendril of fire. He continued into the castle, wary of possible threats. Long corridors and several doors went to several rooms, which lead to even more doors and more rooms. It was a veritable maze. Ganondorf's course was set though. All he had to do was follow the overpowering evil energy that radiated toward the top tower.

One door, though, proved to be a problem. This door was much further in and higher up then the previous ones, which would account for why it was locked. He examined the door more closely, his attention eventually focusing on the fact that the lock underneath the handle was diamond shaped, an eerily familiar diamond shape.

"Oh hell no. There is absolutely no way I'm wasting my time doing what I made Link go through." Ganondorf growled under his breath, angry at the symbolism he read into the door.

Ganondorf's fist crackled with dark, violet energy. He leaned his arm back and then thrust it forward. His fist connected with the obstruction with force unimaginable. The door bent in on itself and cracked apart, exploding into the other room.

Ganondorf walked into the room feeling strangely pleased with himself. It was as if all the tension that he had built up had just washed away, dissipating just like that door had. Yes, that action had been very therapeutic.

"Hey." Said a voice in the room. "Are you going to pay for that?"

Ganondorf turned swiftly toward the direction of the voice. Its owner was a man with brown hair wearing a blue silk coat. He looked human, but the pointed fangs protruding from his mouth spoke different. He had no weapons on him that Ganondorf could actually see, but he unhidden interest in which the vampire stared at him put Ganondorf on his guard.

"Now who would you be?" asked Ganondorf.

"I am one of Lord Myotus's personal body guards. I would suggest surrendering. There's no way you can beat me."

Ganondorf smirked. "Really. Prove it then. I'll give you the first shot. You had best make it count though. You won't get a second chance.

"We'll see about that!" The guard roared as he began to spark with dark power, hands glowing with a blood red light. Suddenly, a lighting bolt of crimson energy shot forth from his hands! The blast hit Ganondorf head on, creating a small explosion that kicked up dust and pieces of stone.

"Well, that's that then." The guard turned to leave only to be stopped by a smoking hand on his shoulder. He turned his head in shock, connecting smoothly with the glowing fist that had been rushing toward his head. He flew into the wall, getting stuck into the stone and leaving an imprint.

The guard was barely able to see Ganondorf through the pain. What he did see surprised him though.

Ganondorf's body was scorched. His armour had soot on it, and his chin was bleeding. Other than that he was completely fine. He walked up to where the vampire was in the wall and put his left hand on his throat, gripping hard.

"Are there any more guards in this tower?" asked Ganondorf.

"N… No. I am the only one who did not go out to fight."

"Good." Ganondorf roughly grabbed the creature's head and squeezed hard before wrenching his arm back, pulling the head clean off. The vampire's body crumbled to dust. The head followed suit soon after.

"Looks like I made a bit of a mess."

With the minor annoyance out of the way, Ganondorf continued on his trail in the castle, punching through doors and knocking down obstacles. He still had the trail. As long as the monster he was tracking kept exuding his power, he would never get lost in this maze.

Eventually, the Gerudo came upon a very strange door. It had arcane runes and strange symbols all over it. This didn't concern Ganondorf though. The dark aura was directly behind this door, so that is where he must go. Ganondorf struck it with his magically enhanced fist, confident that it would fold just like all the others. The door didn't even buckle. Ganondorf's attack had done absolutely nothing.

"What the hell?"

Ganondorf examined the door. A poem was etched on to it's surface, almost unreadable due to how worn the surface was. It went like this,

_Light wanes _

_And darkness reigns _

_With the sword in your hand _

_I shall spread chaos throughout the land _

_Now, the question I whisper in your ear _

_What is your deepest fear? _

Ganondorf quirked an eyebrow at the door's strange words. Could they be the way to open the door? The poem seemed to be asking a question, like some kind of riddle.

'_That's it! Those words are a riddle. The answer must open the door.' _

What is your deepest fear? Ganondorf thought for a bit before saying "Link." The doors did not open. Apparently, it would not be that easy.

"This is far too similar to what I made Link do." He muttered sourly under his breath.

Ganondorf thought. He thought long and hard. Nothing scared him truly. Only Link brought anything remotely similar to fear in his heart. Whenever he thought about that boy, he felt weak. This, of course, made him angry. That feeling always made rage grow inside of him. This time, however, that rage brought clarity.

_'That's it. That is what I fear above all else.' _

Ganondorf turned to the door, face impassive, and said his answer.

"I fear becoming weak."

The door opened.

It was a dining hall. In it was a large rectangular table. It was filled with all sorts of food. Salads to roast chicken, pork to fish, it was a banquet of fine cuisine. The only things out of place were the barrels full of what appeared to be metallic dust.

"So you are the one making all the noise down there. It was disturbing my meal."

Ganondorf turned his attention from the dust to the figure sitting at the end of the table. He was BIG, very big. At least six foot five. His long blond hair was tied back into a ponytail. His angular face could have been considered handsome, if it did not look so menacing. His body was pale and toned to perfection. He wore black silk, which only seemed to increase the creature's menacing image. He was sitting in front of what looked like a large salmon, calmly cutting off a portion. A cup of that dust was there as well.

"Why would a vampire eat the food of the living? That makes no sense."

The vampire who had to be Myotus chuckled. "Vampires can get nourishment through other ways."

"Like what?"

"As you should know, vampires are anemic. We cannot produce iron in our blood stream. That is why we take the blood of humans, whose blood is rich with iron. But I prefer to eat like I did when I was alive, with a few adjustments of course." Myotus sprinkled some of the dust on the food and put the portion he had cut off to his mouth. Ganondorf had figured it out. The dust was iron.

"Disturbing." He said quietly.

"I don't think so. It is a much more effective way to get nourishment than to drink blood. I am so glad that lord Finis allows me to keep some of the iron from this land to grind into dust. Though, I still enjoy drinking blood. Sometimes I do so just to see the fear in the wretch's eyes as he dies."

For some reason, this conversation was making Ganondorf really angry. Maybe it was the guy's pompous attitude or maybe it was the strange eating of dust. Suffice to say, Ganondorf really wanted to hurt this creature. Since, of course, he had originally come with that intention in mind, he saw no reason to restrain himself.

"Put down the food and fight me!"

"After I finish my meal."

"I have gone through nine kinds of hell to get here I'll be DAMNED if I postpone it any longer for your idiotic dinner plans!"

Ganondorf lifted his hand, palm open and full of energy. A beam of light shot forth and struck the piece of furniture. The table, food and all, disintegrated into ash.

Myotus stood up, a look of annoyance on his face that his meal was ruined.

"All right then. Let's begin."

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Phew. This is the longest chapter I have ever written. I think I am getting pretty good at this. I owe it all to my reviewers. A few of the more influential ones would be Linda of Lorule and Saria. Also is Bobonwonsuni and Lady Obsessed are greatly thanked. I appreciate it when people review. Oh, Lady Obsessed, don't worry about it. Update when you can. This chapter was exhausting and I may be out for a while. I will try to update soon. Sayonara!


	11. General One: Myotus

Authors notes: It's finally here! The fight that I have let sit in the dark for far too long. The fight between Myotus and Ganondorf! The reason this took so long was because I was looking for someway to make this something more than a simple brawl. Those get boring after a while. Remember, all thoughts are done like this. 'Thought.' Read and enjoy! Oh, and I don't own Zelda.  
  
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General One: Myotus  
  
Myotus held up a large gold coin. "We will begin the fight when this coin touch's the ground." Myotus flipped the coin into the air. Ganondorf, displaying his great annoyance, drew his sword and cut the coin in half.  
  
"Why the ritual? We both know why I am here. Start the fight already."  
  
Myotus looked at Ganondorf with an expression beneath contempt. "Such barbaric manners." And with that, picked up one of the coin half's and with a flick of his wrist, spun the coin through and struck Ganondorf across the bridge of his broad nose.  
  
Ganondorf's reaction to this was to be expected. He charged forward in a rage. He swung his fist at the vampire only to pass through empty air. Myotus spoke behind him. "You telegraphed your intention from across the room. Surely your punch was symbolic. You honestly can't expect me to stand here all day waiting for it."  
  
Ganondorf spun around, hoping to backhand the vampire. Once again he met nothing bet air. Myotus spoke again. "You move as if under water. Surely you're holding something in reserve."  
  
Ganondorf mind raced. 'He's moving fast. Very fast. I can't keep up with his movements.' Ganondorf felt his skin being punctured in several places. His blood started to flow. Ganondorf saw Myotus across the room. He had blood dripping from his hands. The vampires nails seemed to have grown two inches and were as sharp as steel.  
  
Myotus taunted Ganondorf. "You will die the death of a thousand cuts. It will be the most exquisite pain you have ever felt."  
  
Ganondorf was beyond angry. He charged in one hand black lightning and launched it at the vampire. Myotus swerved to the left, dodging the attack. "So you are a sorcerer." Said the general. "That makes things different." Suddenly, there were five Myotus's! Then ten, then twenty! Soon the whole room was filled with them.  
  
Ganondorf struck the one closest to him. His fist past right through it. "After images." he muttered. He attacked another one. The same thing happened. He hit another and another. He kept getting the same effect.  
  
Ganondorf fired five balls of fire at the same time. All went to five different targets. All went through them.  
  
Ganondorf felt a clawing at his back. Myotus had struck him again. Ganondorf started to think logically now. He placed his hands together to attempt a canceling spell. If Myotus was creating these images through some kind of magic then this would stop it.  
  
Ganondorf completed the spell, yet nothing had changed! Their were still several Myotus's running around in the room. 'He's not using any magic!' Ganondorf realized. 'This is pure speed!'  
  
Once again Ganondorf was being clawed at. He was losing a lot of blood. This time, however, Myotus spoke.  
  
"I can't help but notice the heat from your sword. If I am not mistaken, it must be newly forged. The blacksmith in the village must have made it for you. For the offense of arming you, he shall pay with his life."  
  
Myotus clawed Ganondorf again and once more he spoke. "As I slice your flesh, there arises the pungent odor of medicinal herbs. Only the village elder has the gift of herbalism that healed you. He too shall make the ultimate sacrifice."  
  
Myotus passed again, clawing at Ganondorf's knees. He licked the blood on his hand. "I can taste the nutrient's in your blood. You are well nourished. I shall take the life away from those who fed you."  
  
Ganondorf looked shocked. Attempting to recover, Ganondorf said, "Why do you insist on this speculation?"  
  
All the Myotus's in the smiled an icy smile. "A vampire of my class has more subtle talents then just speed and strength. My heightened senses have taken your measure. I need no words from you to know were you have been and who has helped you."  
  
Ganondorf digested these new details immediately. He saw the possible repercussions to all who had aided him. If he lost this fight, more would be at stake than his ego. Other deaths would follow his and, perhaps the first time in his life, Ganondorf felt true panic. It was not a fear like when he was struck down by Link's holy blade. This fear was larger than himself.  
  
With this much at stake Ganondorf knew that he must instantly conceive a foolproof plan. He began to make himself appear much more damaged than he was. In actuality, Ganondorf could have stood their all day. With each successive blow he cried out ever louder and gave the appearance of nearing exhaustion. Soon, the after images disappeared and Myotus slowed down for the finale.  
  
"Now I will end your li" Zap! Myotus was hit with some kind of electricity. He could not move.  
  
Ganondorf stood to his full height, the air of exhaustion having disappeared. From his hand arose smoke and the electrical aura of the aftermath of the energy he had just released.  
  
"This isn't happening!" Myotus said in denial. Ganondorf picked him up by the collar of his shirt and said, "Does this look like a mirage?" Ganondorf then punched Myotus hard across the face. He went flying through a wooden beam, snapping it like a twig.  
  
Ganondorf picked up one of the wooden shards. He spoke, imitating Myotus's voice. "You know, for a vampire of your class and subtlety, you really should have taken into account the amount of wood in your room." With that, Ganondorf rammed the wooden spike into Myotus's heart.  
  
Myotus started to turn to dust. But he did not vanish immediately. A vampire of his level would not disintegrate all at once. He spoke as he fell apart. "Do not revel in your victory for too long sorcerer. Each of my colleagues has their own special talents, their own abilities. If you had this much difficulty against me, do you honestly believe you will survive four more?" With that, Myotus fell to dust.  
  
Ganondorf looked down upon the grainy substance. He shook his head and said, "Arrogant to the end." With his job done, Ganondorf limped out of the room.  
  
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This one took a while. I give thanks to all who have reviewed. I really appreciate your support and criticism. Sayonara! 


	12. Reuniting and a Prophecy

Author's note: I am sooooo sorry about the delay. My laptop broke and I had to wait for it to get repaired. I am going on a trip this week and I won't be able to bring my computer along, so I will be delayed for this week also. Please read and enjoy this short little chapter I put out. Oh, and I don't own Zelda.  
  
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Reuniting and a Prophecy  
  
Phantom Ganon lay against the tree clutching his side. His enemy was the dust that lay beside him. The vampire was vanquished.  
  
He despaired of ever being whole with Ganondorf again, as he lay there, dieing. His hope was rekindled, however, when Ganondorf walked out of the castle. He was injured, but at least he was alive.  
  
Ganondorf did not have to worry too much about being attacked while he was outside. Though a few small skirmishes were happening here and there, the battle was pretty much over. The corpses of thousands of Myotus's army were strewn across the battlefield.  
  
Ganondorf walked up to the tree that Phantom Ganon lay by. He kneeled down and said, "I will keep my promise."  
  
With that, they embraced. Phantom Ganon seemed to slide into Ganondorf. He smiled as he fused with the Gerudo man. This is what he had wanted for the past hundred years. When it was over, Ganondorf had a shadow that was much more solid. His power also rose slightly.  
  
Ganondorf knelt there, unmoving, as the memories flowed into him.  
  
(Flashback)  
  
I charge my enemy, this vampire. He draws his swords against me, attempting to stop me. He can try. Nothing is going to keep me from my goal!  
  
Our weapons meet, small sparks erupt from our colliding forces. We break apart, them we meet again. Over and over we meet, like a dance that has no end. He slashes my shoulder, blood pours from my wound. He smiles, he has drawn first blood.  
  
It will not be first blood that determines the fight though. It will be last blood! I attack with even more force now, knowing that if I let up for a wound, I will die.  
  
My trident cuts his arm, a small wound. Still, it seems that he is mad that I cut him at all. His blades start to pulse with energy now. He swings them downward and a crimson wave emerges from the blades coming straight at me! I block with my trident, the force is incredible.  
  
It seems the battle has been raised a notch. I raise my hand and release a ball of my own power. It comes too quickly for him to dodge and hits him full in the chest. He fly's back and lands hard on the ground. This is my chance!  
  
I rush forward and bring my weapon down on his neck, cutting off his head. I failed to notice his swords coming at my side, plunging in easily. I gasp, the swords go in deep into my body. I stumble backward even as my enemy turns to dust. I pull the blades from my sides and lay against a nearby tree panting. I know I can't recover from this. Will he come in time? That is my only worry.  
  
(End Flashback)  
  
"An unusual show of compassion for the king of evil, don't you think?" said a feminine voice from behind Ganondorf. He turns around.  
  
"How so? He was a part of me. Who would I love greater than myself?"  
  
Din gave him a knowing smile. Ganondorf hated that smile. It made him think she knew something he did not.  
  
"I have not come here to bandy words with you, Triforce bearer. I have come to give you aid."  
  
Ganondorf felt another boost in power. He stared at his right hand. A portion of the Triforce symbol shines for a few seconds and then dims. That portion though, stays a little brighter than the rest of the symbol.  
  
"As I promised, I have returned a part of your Triforce to you. I will do the same with each general you defeat. This is not all that I came to do though."  
  
"What else are you here for? Have you come to give me some meaningless prophecy?"  
  
"Yes, but I can assure you, it is not meaningless. You will find allies on your journey Triforce bearer. The first you will find in the forest. He is a man of logic. You will know it is he when you see him convert evil men to a life of peace. The next you will find in the mountains. This ally will take on an unusual form, but will be an ally none- the-less. You will know this ally when you hear her call over the winds. Finally, when the first two are found, look for the thundering sound in the forest. It will lead you to a man who has complete mastery over his body. He will preach honor and personal enhancement. He will be very useful to you."  
  
"Why would I need ally's? I am strong enough to handle my enemies. Or do you see in the future that I will fail without these people?"  
  
"Not even I can see into the future, Triforce bearer. No one can. I see possibilities. Your possibility of surviving at the end of all this is much stronger if you ally with these people. You might make it on your own, but that seems very unlikely. I can only advise though. The decision is ultimately up to you."  
  
With that, she disappeared. Ganondorf turned around and walked toward the village. He stopped when he felt a presence behind him. He looked back and saw two spirits.  
  
One spirit was a male around his height and build, with the same kind of hairstyle he had. His nose though, was not as long. The other spirit was a female. She was beautiful with waist long hair and a kind, loving face. The male nodded to Ganondorf approvingly while the female smiled a thankful smile. The wind blew by and they disappeared. No trace was left that they had been there.  
  
Ganondorf nodded in the direction they had been. He turned around once more and started the walk back toward the village.  
  
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Well, that was interesting. Take a guess at who those two spirits were. I'll give a cookie to whoever gets it right. Ganondorf with companions. They'll either have to be extremely strong or extremely stupid to do that. I already know what they are because I am the author. I hope you enjoyed this little chapter of mine. Sayonara! 


	13. Man of Logic

Author's note: I had a lot of fun in Costa Rica. That's one of the reasons I have not updated in a while. Still, I also had to think of an idea with this chapter. I was facing a dilemma. I couldn't think of a good way to make what I had planned work. So I worked on the idea for about a week, and I came up with this. I hope you guys enjoy it. Oh, and I don't own Zelda.  
  
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Man of Logic  
  
Ganondorf limped his way back to the village. His leg was still torn from Myotus's claws. It was bleeding badly.  
  
"Seriously, what kind of an idiot fights with his nails?" Ganondorf muttered under his breath. "Can't believe that guy managed to hurt me so much."  
  
The village was soon in sight. The lights of the town were a welcome sight to the weary eyes of the Gerudo man. His stomach growled in the anticipation of a warm meal. He continued at the moderate pace though. His leg couldn't take too much weight.  
  
The reaction of the villagers when he entered the town was to be expected. They stared at him in shock and were all wondering how he was still alive. They had heard the sounds of an army clashing and had seen the flashes of light, but they had assumed that it had merely been an illusion, and that Ganondorf would be dead. The Gerudo grinned.  
  
"I won." Was all that he said.  
  
Then came the panic. Instead of being overjoyed, every one save the Elder and May began to riot in fear. Thoughts of Finis's retribution to the death of one of his generals went through their minds. He would send hundreds, no thousands, to destroy the village and kill all it's inhabitants. The Elder raised his hands for silence.  
  
"It seems that we have an issue here." He said calmly.  
  
"Damn right we do! Finis is going to destroy us! All because this guy had to go and pick a fight with Myotus!" One of the villagers cried, pointing at Ganondorf. Several raised their voices in agreement. Ragnen, the elder, raised his hands again.  
  
"Normally that would be the case. Except that you all have forgotten one crucial detail. You have forgotten why Finis set the generals in the locations. He set them there so that he could control the major producers in this country. He spared only the bare minimum number of soldier's for each area. He has taken his main army to Pronterion to wage war on the country. He cannot afford to spare any more manpower to send an army to destroy this place. He has as much metal as he needs to be at war for five years if necessary. We are safe. Do not blame our savior. He is a hero."  
  
"Me, a hero?" Ganondorf whispered to himself. This was new to him. Ganondorf had been called many things, but hero was not one of them. He felt awkward.  
  
He felt even more awkward when the people's shouts of anger towards him suddenly turned to cries of praise. They crowded around him, thanking him for his deed. Ganondorf was definitely not used to this. Ragnen raised his hands again.  
  
"I think it is time for him to receive some well deserved rest." He walked up to Ganondorf.  
  
"Please, follow me." He led the Gerudo into his house. Ganondorf sat on the bed while Ragnen looked over his injuries.  
  
"Your in almost as bad a shape as before. I take it you had a difficult time?"  
  
"Not really. He was just fast. Speed was all he had, and that alone will not vanquish me."  
  
"That is fortunate to hear. Though it appears that you have lost quite a bit of blood."  
  
"I'll be fine in the morning."  
  
"I suppose you will." Ragnen said while dressing the wounds. Ganondorf looked at the old man.  
  
"You know you lied to them right? Judging from what I know of Finis, it will take him ten to twelve months to conquer this country you speak of. Then he will come and destroy you."  
  
"You don't miss much, do you? Yes, it is true that when his war is over, Finis will not overlook the fact that we harbored a man who killed one of his generals. When that time comes, he will send an army to crush us. I gave them hope. I'm afraid that hope will be short lived unless Finis is cast down. That is why I help you. You are the only one, I think, with the power to defeat Finis. You have the potential to do great things, I just hope they are for the benefit of Kyteria."  
  
"We shall see." Was all Ganondorf said before lying down and falling asleep. A long, dreamless sleep.  
  
Ganondorf awoke two days later. He got the rations, rope, and water from the trading post and set out to leave. He was confronted by May when he was at the edge of the village.  
  
"Promise me you'll come back." She said through a choked voice. Ganondorf cracked a little smile. He patted May on the head.  
  
"I'll come back."  
  
He walked off towards the woods. Beyond them were the mountains. That was where the second, closest General was.  
  
He walked deeper into the forest, the tree's and branches overhead clocking the ground in darkness. Ahead, he perceived a clearing, in the middle stood a solitary figure. As he approached, he began to discern voices, too far away to understand what was being said, but close enough to sense the unmistakable tone of anger.  
  
Ganondorf proceeds more cautiously, seeking a vantage point that will conceal his presence, but enable him to watch the inevitable confrontation. The discussion between the apparent adversaries continues, but thee tone appears to be changing. The solo figure appears to relax. Then there is silence.  
  
Ganondorf was confused. Where were the sounds of violence? Where were the sounds of conflict? These were questions that Ganondorf desired answers too. He came into the clearing. He saw one man amidst the tracks of at least ten men retreating into the forest. No weapon had been drawn, and no blood had been shed.  
  
The single remaining figure was a man of average height. He had curly brown hair and wore a large pack on his back. His cloths were simple, and he had no exceptional characteristics except the two swords at his belt. One Ganondorf knew as a rapier. The other was like Finis's short sword. The man turned and saw Ganondorf. His expression was pleasant and welcoming. Ganondorf posed his question.  
  
"Why was there no fight?"  
  
The man looked thoughtfully for a moment. Then, spoke in clear, measured sentences. "There was no need for a fight, so I did not permit any violence to occur. "  
  
Ganondorf was puzzled. "That makes no sense. You were one, they were many. There for, you lose."  
  
The man's expression changed from placid to amused.  
  
"My friend," He began. "The origins of violence maybe many. But its justifications are few. Those that spoke with me moments ago were hungry and misguided. Their solution, robbing me was ill thought out and carried with it the seeds of its own destruction. They perceived my blades different from the crude instruments they carried. They perceived my lack of fear of them, despite there number. For I fear them not. I explained to them that should they succeed in defeating me, several of them would die. And I posed the question to them, which of them was prepared to die so that his comrade might prosper only to the extent of the meager money I posses. I concluded with the observation that should my body be found, it would surely be reported back to Finis that bandits had robbed and murdered a simple traveler who had also killed several of his attackers. They appreciated the fact that Finis considers extracting money as his sole province. Retribution would follow, and those whom my blades did not dispatch would be hunted down and executed as an example that all wealth belongs to Finis. When faced with this inescapable logic, my assailants were much more receptive to my suggestion that they would be much better served were they to take up a life of farming. So you see, peaceful resolution triumphed, I am intact and my adversaries have become my converts."  
  
Ganondorf was stunned. It is not often that you find a man struck speechless, but Ganondorf could not find any words. Never had he seen a dispassionate argument prevail over the passions of a dozen hungry men. This was a man of logic. This was power.  
  
When finally regained his speech, he simply asked, "To were do you travel."  
  
"To the mountain." The man replied.  
  
"As do I." Responded Ganondorf. "May I accompany you? Mister?  
  
"My name is Frank Arthur Yearlnaz. You may call me Frank. To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?"  
  
"I am Ganondorf."  
  
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Could any one keep up with that explanation? I said it would be a man of logic. Any way, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Sayonara! 


	14. Ally of the Sky

Author's note: Sorry this took so long. I had Spanish classes, driving classes, and my Internet broke down. I was able to bring it to you though. I hope you like this. I have decided to give up on setting a schedule. Too many things are happening for me to schedule anything anyway. Read and enjoy. Oh, and I don't own Zelda.

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Ally of the Sky

Two figures were approaching a mountain range. One had curly brown hair, while the other had fiery red hair. The one with red hair turned his head to the one with brown.

"Why are you going to the mountains?" The one we all know as Ganondorf asked.

"I came to try and fix this country." The one named Frank answered.

"Fix the country?"

"Yes. This country has no government. Finis holds everything in an iron grip. The land is withering away as he wages his pointless wars. He taxes people for ridiculous amounts of money. He gives creatures that were normally thieves and brigand's power and position. That is not government. That is tyranny and chaos."

"So how does going to the mountain change anything?"

"I thought about it for a long time. I came to the only possible solution that a man such as myself could do. I am going to convince the general there that he should rebel against Finis."

Ganondorf laughed. He laughed long and hard. Frank stared at him quizzically.

"What do you find so amusing?"

"That you actually think this person with so much power would even listen to you. You wouldent even get through the first sentence before he crushed you."

"I have to try. This country needs help."

"You won't get it the way you're going."

"A matter of opinion my friend. So, to what reason do you travel to the mountains?"

"I came to kill the general." Ganondorf said casually.

Frank's jaw dropped. He couldn't form any words to reply to what seemed to him as insanity. When he finally found his voice, he talked slightly breathlessly.

"Kill the general?! How?!"

"You will see. I seek his destruction for my own reasons. The welfare of this country is not my concern."

"How could you say that?! The people are suffering!"

"I am aware of that, but it is not my problem. I plan to kill all the generals and then I will kill Finis, if this country is saved some how by me doing so, then it is just a side affect. "

Frank stayed silent. He mused over Ganondorf's words. His mind contemplating hidden meanings and plans.

"I see." He whispered, "but you may have more plans for this country than you think you do." They dropped the conversation after that.

They got closer to the mountains. The towering pinnacles of rock loomed before them in all their majesty and splendor. Snowy peeks mixing into green and grey bodies. The air seemed cleaner and the light brighter. It was a refreshing and invigorating experience. Though most of this was lost on Ganondorf.

Yes. He did not notice much of the beauty of the scene. All he saw was a destination, a small step on his goal for revenge.

It still played clearly in his mind, how Finis had defeated him so quickly. Anger lay underneath his calm surface. He would take out that anger on the next enemy, whoever it may be.

They soon were at the base of the mountain. A worn trail led its way upwards in a slant. The two travelers began their hike up the slope.

After they had walked for some time, they felt a refreshing breeze. It was pleasant, as they had been walking for many hours. That breeze soon grew into a strong gust, which grew into a powerful wind.

Frank had to grab hold of a tree to maintain his balance. Ganondorf just stood there unmoving. He was looking at the rocks ahead. His eyes locked on some thing, a slight movement.

"You can come out now." He spoke in a casual voice. It seemed to resonate through out the general area.

"Why would I show myself to the likes of you?" A raspy, squawky voice replied.

"I will level half the mountain if you do not."

Ganondorf raised a hand and destroyed a boulder near the voice with a ball of flame. It was a warning shot. Frank stared.

"You're a sorcerer? Why didn't you tell me?"

"It wasn't terribly important for you to know."

The voice talked again.

"All right! I'll come out."

And eagle flapped out from behind the rocks. It landed a few feet away from Ganondorf and Frank. There was an awkward silence.

"What?" Ganondorf said confused.

"It's a Wind Eagle! This is terrific!"

"And a Wind Eagle would be...?"

"It's a kind of eagle that can control wind by flapping their wings in a specific way. They're very rare. This is the first time I have ever seen one."

"Then how do you know about them?"

"I do research."

"You two can stop talking like I'm not here." The bird said, annoyed.

"Quiet or I turn you into fried bird."

"That is no way to address a lady!"

"You're a lady?" Frank and Ganondorf said at the same time.

"Yes I'm a lady! Got a problem with that?"

"No, not at all. We meant no disrespect." Frank answered. Ganondorf just stayed quiet.

"What are you two doing on my mountain?" The eagle was suspicious.

"Why should we tell you?" Ganondorf asked back.

"We are going to the city on the other side of the mountain." Frank answered. Ganondorf glared at him.

"Why would you be going there?"

This time Ganondorf answered.

"I am going there to kill the general. Get out of our way."

"No."

"What?" Ganondorf growled.

"I won't let you. I know what you are."

"You know nothing!"

"Animal's have much better senses and instincts then humans. We can even see one's past, to some degree. You have committed horrible atrocities. You're no better then Finis. I should blow you off the mountain."

"Those atrocities, as you put it, were part of a failed attempt, nothing more. As for secrets, you're hiding one of your own. Why do you have such contempt for humans?"

"They hunted my clan! Or rather, Finis did. We were already rare, our species had been hunted for a legend that humans themselves created. There were only around thirty of us left in Kyteria. Then Finis came. He robbed my kin of their intelligence and made them his slaves! I was away at the time, so I wasn't caught."

"That's not all is it."

The eagle blinked a few times.

"How?"

"I'm not human, I have better instincts."

"No, that isn't. Some of my clan were able to resist Finis's brain washing. My mate was one of them. He killed all who would not submit. When I had returned, he was dead."

"That's horrible." Frank whispered.

Ganondorf was reminded once more of DIN's prophesy. "An ally of the sky" She had said.

"Come with us then."

"Why should I?"

"If what you wish is revenge, then you do not have the strength to defeat Finis. I know, I have fought him. Come with us and, together, we are sure to have victory over him."

The eagle thought for a minute. She raised her head to respond.

"I will think about it as a journey with you. I could leave at any time, so don't get too attached."

"Believe me, I won't."

"My name is Crow." The eagle said as she landed on Frank's shoulder.

"My name is Frank."

"I am Ganondorf. So, shall we continue then?"

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Looks like they got another party member, and she has an attitude that can match Ganondorf's! I see much shouting and cursing ahead. Also, the fighting starts again next chapter. I hope you enjoyed this installment of "A Ganondorf Story". Sayonara!


	15. General Two: Girun

Author's note: Hey guys! I'm back! Sorry about the long wait. This chapter had a few kinks in it. Still, after re-reading the wonderful stories of my good friend Linda of Lorule, I got the motivation to write this. It's longer then my other ones. I hope you enjoy. Oh, and I don't own Zelda.

General Two: Girun

It was a long walk. The city was supposed to be on the other side of the mountain after all. It was a long walk, but it was by no means a quiet one. Only Frank remained silent. Ganondorf and Crow were exchanging harsh words the entire way. Neither would back off since both were stubborn to the extreme.

"Stop calling me a chicken, you long nosed, brooding freak!"

"I'll call you whatever the hell I want, chicken."

"I AM NOT A CHICKEN!!! I AM AN EAGLE!!"

"I always heard that eagle tastes like chicken." Ganondorf said with an evil grin.

"Eagles are not like those lowly fowls! Eagles are proud!"

"Of what? Your species are normally brainless feather dusters."

"I dare you to say that again you tyrannical moron!"

"Your species are brainless feather dusters."

"Don't insult eagles!"

"What? You were the one who dared me to say it."

"You are so aggravating!"

"Your annoying."

"Were here." Frank said with relief in his voice. The arguing of the other two was beginning to wear on even his patient mind.

All their talking ceased as they topped the rise. A large city appeared below them. It was made entirely out of rock, as if it had just grown there. Beings that looked like they were made out of multiple pieces of stone where walking the streets, going into one building or another and just generally doing whatever business they needed to do.

"What are those rock people?" Ganondorf asked. He was still a new resident to this world. He didn't know everything.

"They're Geon's. Isn't it obvious?"

"No."

"Where exactly do you hail from anyway?" Frank asked with a raised eyebrow.

"That is of no concern to any one. Lets go to the city."

Ganondorf went in a brisk walk towards the city. Frank jogged to catch up with him. Crow simply flew overhead a little.

They entered into the bustling place with little notice by any one. No one seemed to look up from what they were doing. They traveled at swift paces, which was surprising seeing they were all made completely out of rock.

"This isn't right." Frank said as he placed his chin in palm. It was his thinking position.

"Why?"

"Geon's like to move slowly. Moving too fast grinds them down and can hurt them after a while. They would have to be very scared or very motivated to move this quickly."

"The looks on their faces, I think those are faces anyway, don't look particularly motivated. They actually look like their fearful."

"Geon's are some of the strongest beings in Kyteria! What could scare them?"

"The general." Ganondorf said blandly.

"I guess that makes sense. What is the general making them do though?" Crow asked from her spot on Franks shoulder.

Some of the Geon's came to a rock wall. The seemed to pass right through it. They then came out with large pieces of different types of rock. They carried them off to what looked like a building full of wagons.

"So that's it. He's scaring them into picking out the better pieces of stone from the mountain. That must be the purpose of the general being here. To use them to make houses for the occupied areas of Finis's conquest's."

"But doing so will eventually make the mountain fall apart! It's not supposed to be mined this quickly!"

Ganondorf didn't respond. Her just started walking to the largest building in the city. That's where he figured the general was. The largest building happened to be made up like an arena.

As they entered the building, a gornoid went up to them.

"This is a restricted area. You may not enter."

Ganondorf simply batted him aside. The hapless Gornoid crashed into a wall. An imprint was left behind.

"Rather violent aren't we?" Crow asked.

"Yes. We should be trying quieter approaches. If we keep doing what you're doing, we will attract more attention then we need."

"My methods work fine."

Two more guards appeared. One a bear man and another an orc. Ganondorf turned to deal with them. Frank unsheathed his swords. He dashed forward. The orc was gutted open by the curved short sword while the bear man was stabbed in the throat by the rapier. Frank withdrew his longer sword from the beast's throat and cleaned his blade's on its shirt. They went back into their sheath's soon after.

"That's what I meant by quieter approaches. No noise this way."

Ganondorf was slightly taken aback by Frank's skill with a blade. He had thought that a man like him would only wear them to dissuade attackers.

"How did you do that? I thought that you were some kind of pacifist."

"I think of swordsmanship as another realm of the mind. It is no different then chess with it's many forms and styles. I may be a supporter of peace, but I believe in self-defense. Now, shall we get going?"

Ganondorf nodded. They turned a corner only to meet another group of guards. Ganondorf drew his sword. It intercepted an orc's mace and shattered. Ganondorf used his other hand to grab the humanoid by the throat and crushed its windpipe. Crow flapped her wings and blew the other guard far away down the hall, where he hit his head and fell unconscious.

Ganondorf looked at his sword sadly. He had grown somewhat attached to it. He was surprised greatly when it seemed to reform. All the shattered pieces went back into place and melded back together.

"What in the world?"

"That is simply amazing!" Frank exclaimed.

"You know what just happened?"

"It must be that your sword was made from Kyterium. It is a remarkable metal that will regenerate itself stronger then before after it is broken. Your sword cannot be broken at that level of force ever again."

Ganondorf stared at his sword. He recalled the blacksmith's words. He had said it was not a normal sword.

"I think I'm going to enjoy this blade."

They ran into a few more guards on their way to the center of the building. They were dealt with as quickly and as quietly as possible. They soon opened the door to the central area.

They saw two large Geon's basically beating the crap out of each other. They struck repeatedly with their rocky fists. Over to the side was an even larger figure. It looked human, if you ignored the fact that it was sixty feet tall. The general was a giant.

"I don't know whether to be happy or dismayed. Very few clans of giants are intelligent. None of those clans exist in Kyteria. Still, their strength and ferocity is incredible."

Ganondorf was more paying attention to the two Geon's fighting. He figured that they were fighting for the giant's amusement. For some reason, he seemed angered by that. He walked forward and got in between the two fighting rock people.

"Stop that. Go away now." He commanded them. They ran off to different sides of the ring.

"Who be stopping Girun's fun?!" Roared the giant.

Ganondorf didn't bother to answer. He immediately shot out two large fireballs at the giant's humongous chest. They simply dispersed on contact. Girun yelled and charged Ganondorf. He struck his fist torwards him. Ganondorf jumped into the air to dodge. The fist hit the ground with remarkable force. Ganondorf was caught in the shockwave and thrown higher into the air. He landed on his back. Crow and Frank rushed to his side.

"We can't win that way!"

"Maybe we can win this way!"

Crow flapped her wings hard. A tornado of rock and sand emerged and hit the giant. The rocks bounced off, but the sand got in his eyes.

"Why you hurt Girun's eyes?!"

Ganondorf took his chance now that the brute was blinded. He shot many streams of lightening from his hands. They bounced off just like the fire and rocks had.

"What is he made of?!" Ganondorf exclaimed as he kept firing.

"Giants are naturally resistant to direct magical attacks. Physical attacks don't do much good either."

"We have to do something!" Crow shouted as she made another tornado.

Girun shrugged off the attacks and charged forward. The group scattered as the giant brought his foot down this time. It caused another shockwave that took every one but Crow off their feet.

"Damn it!" Ganondorf shouted in frustration. He then got an idea.

"Crow, blind him again!"

"Why?"

"Just do it!"

Crow flapped her wings once again, giving Frank enough time to get out of the way of Girun's fist. He got sand in his eyes again.

"Little bugs bother Girun! Girun smash little bugs!" Girun shouted as he tried to get the sand out of his eyes.

Ganondorf ran forward and got to the giant's feet. He placed both of his hands on them. He drew in as much power from the fifth of the triforce that he had gotten from when he defeated Myotus.

"What you doing!"

Girun's feet seemed to turn a gray color. It spread upwards rapidly. Girun found that he could not move the parts of his body that turned grey. He came to the horrible truth. He was turning into stone.

Girun reached his arms down to try and strike Ganondorf away, but his arms changed to stone quickly enough.

"Lord Finis! Save I!!!!!" He shouted to the sky. His head turned to stone after he had screamed those words. His face was permanently locked in a horrified expression.

Thus the giant was dead, his body a monument of his defeat.

"That was actually kind of sad." Frank said as he brushed himself off. "He thought Finis would save him."

"He was a fool who believed the person he saw as a god cared about him. He was merely a pawn." Ganondorf said as he too wiped the dust from his clothes.

"Still, it is rather disturbing. He thought he could be saved by a man like that. I wonder what could have brought him to such an idea?" Crow asked quietly. The group remained silent after that. They stared as the sun set over the statue that was once the general of a tyrant, forever set in stone.

Ending note: Whew. This one was tiring. I hope you enjoyed this latest installment of "A Ganondorf Story". Strange things to come next chapter, like Frank and Crow meeting DIN. That and the man in the forest. The one with complete mastery of his body, just like DIN predicted. Surprises are guaranteed. I hope you enjoyed this. Oh, and Matt. I'll try. Oh, and the two ghost's in the earlier chapter were May's parents. Just thought I'd clear that up if any one wondered. Sayonara!


	16. The Strongest Man

Author's note: Sorry it's been so long. I had quarterfinals and was distracted. Also, my Internet has been screwy. But at long last, I give you this new chapter. Please read and enjoy. Oh, and I don't own Zelda, though I wish I did.

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The Strongest Man

Under the shadow of the fallen giant, things were hardly peaceful. True, the general had been defeated, but his vanquishers, rather then celebrate, were engaged in yet another argument.

"We really should re-supply."

"I think we should head straight for the desert and kill the general there."

Ganondorf, as always, was impatient. He wished to head to the next closest general, which was located in the desert region.

"You're really an idiot. We won't last long with the supplies we have!" A certain talking bird exclaimed.

"I was born and raised in a desert. I can handle it." Ganondorf shot back.

"The fact that you can is not the end of the question."

"I become weary of carrying you two."

"You were awfully happy to carry me when I kept that giant from crushing you." Crow retorted in anger.

"Enough with the arguing. You're a hero in the village of Hillonds Door, where everything we need is readily available. For once in your life be practical."

"Why can't we just get supplies here?" Ganondorf asked, trying to support his case.

"Because Geons don't need food or water. They're made of rock. They get their sustenance from soil." Frank said as if addressing a child.

"Going back to the village forces us to backtrack great distance, while the desert is merely over these mountains."

"You would be well to listen to his advice, Triforce bearer." A beautiful voice rang through the arena. All eyes turned to the head of the giant, where a flawless, magnificent red haired woman was sitting.

"You just want to make this harder don't you?" Ganondorf grumbled.

"Who's she?" Crow asked.

"A very annoying divine being." Ganondorf said tersely.

"Divine? As in goddess? No, that's not possible." Frank said decisively.

"Then explain how she just appeared all the way up there without you seeing it or me sensing it."

"I did not come here to listen to yet another one of your interminable arguments. I came to keep my end of the bargain once again. I will now to give to you another fifth of the Triforce."

The symbol on Ganondorf's hand shined. When the light had died down, it appeared as if another part of it seemed brighter then the rest, like it had after Ganondorf had defeated Myotus. The power rushing through Ganondorf made him shudder.

Ganondorf stared at his hand with satisfaction. He then looked at DIN and said, "Thank you goddess, now give me the rest."

"In due time." DIN replied.

Ganondorf grunted in response. DIN graced him with a beautiful smile and then disappeared in a flash of light.

"I still don't think that was a goddess."

"Then what do you call it?" Crow asked, still bedazzled.

"A very clever woman with a lot more knowledge then we have."

"Looked like a goddess to me." Crow chirped.

"If you two are done talked, then we can get going." Ganondorf said as he began to walk out of the arena.

"So were going back to Hillonds Door?" Fran asked.

"Yes, were going back to Hillonds Door." Ganondorf growled.

"Goddess says you gotta go, so you gotta go." Frank sang.

"I thought you didn't believed in goddess's." Ganondorf grumbled.

"Anyone who can get you to do something seems pretty divine to me." Frank snickered.

Ganondorf fumed and stalked towards the forest.

The nine-hour walk was uneventful, except for Frank's constant jabbing about goddess's, which Ganondorf scornfully ignored. They approached the outer fringes of the forest, when they heard a suspicious thundering sound.

"Ooooh, Gods must be throwing rocks." Frank giggled.

Before Ganondorf could say anything, Crow soared down from observing the landscape.

"Naw, just some weird guy punching down tree's." Crow said as she landed.

"That not particularly godlike behavior." Frank mused.

"Look, the only god I've met is that annoying goddess you just met. I don't know any other, and I really don't want to know any others. They just make your life hell."

Ganondorf then remembered what the annoying goddess had told him.

"Aw shit, follow the thundering sound in the forest and you will find a man who has complete mastery of his body." Ganondorf muttered under his breath.

"Hmm, you say something?" Frank asked.

"No, nothing. Lets go find this goofball." Ganondorf said as he walked in the direction of the noise.

Ten minutes later, they find a tall man wearing green pants and a black shirt. He was also wearing rather large brown boots and a leather vest. He also wore leather bracers. The strangest thing about him though, was that his black eyebrows were so thick that they almost seemed alive. The black bird's nest of his hair spiked out in all directions. A truly odd looking man.

"Keep it down!" Ganondorf shouted at the man.

"Huh?" Was the man's only response.

"Your too damn loud. It's annoying." Ganondorf mocked.

"Oh look, Ganondorf's picking a fight." Frank said mildly.

Crow looked at him. "That's a joke right?"

"Yes Crow, that's a joke."

"Hi! How's it going? Want to train with me?" The man said in an annoyingly cheery voice.

"I never need to train." Ganondorf said icily.

"Always room for improvement." The man said as he punched down another tree.

"Hey, that's bad for the environment. Couldn't you punch something else?" Frank asked,

"I tried punching rocks, but that made too many landslides."

"You could try to punch me, fool." Ganondorf said as he threw his fist forward.

To Ganondorf's surprise, the man dodged his blow. To Ganondorf's even greater annoyance, the man said cheerfully, "Hey, I haven't had a good sparing match in ages, Thanks."

It was then that the man's elbow connected with Ganondorf's ribs. Ganondorf found himself flying through the air, until he hit a tree, breaking it in two.

"Your friend will be out for a while." The man said cheerfully.

"No he won't." Frank said calmly.

"This is where you run now." Crow added helpfully.

"Why?" The man asked confused.

"Because I'm pissed off now!" Ganondorf shouted as the tree hit the man in the back.

Groaning, the man stands back up.

"Hey, your pretty strong. Maybe you could help me train to kill Finis. I have vowed to eliminate him."

"Why?" Frank asked.

"Because his style of ruling stifles all that a person can be!"

"Oh goddesses help me. Any goddess." Ganondorf groaned.

"You don't think I can kill him? I've been training for a while."

"You're going to have to wait your turn." Crow piped in.

The mans face lit up.

"Your off to kill Finis also?" he said delighted. "Cool, we should team up. Oh, I don't believe I introduced myself. My name is Brock-Lee."

"Oh DIN, why didn't you let me do this alone like I wanted? What am I supposed to do with this fool?"

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Seems that the group has a powerful new ally. Ganondorf doesn't seem to like him for some reason though. I wonder why. Oh well. I hope you enjoyed this latest installation of my story. Also, I would like to bring up something. I can understand criticism of my work, but please give me ways to improve if you criticize my story. Don't just say that it doesn't flow well or that I need to improve. Well, I've said all I need to say. Sayonara!


	17. Annoying Rivals

Author's Note: I live! I'm not dead! Don't let the tombstone fool you. My computer has been out of commission for a month because of hard drive troubles, but I'm back now. I hope you all enjoy this chapter of mine. I'm out of practice. Read and enjoy. I don't own Zelda, no matter how I wish I did.

-

Annoying Rivals

A truly odd-looking group was traveling through the thick forest that surrounded the high mountain range of Kyteria. This truly odd group was made up of three men and a bird. One of the men, an energetic fellow with spiky black hair, was going on and on about the proper method of head butting. The one with curly, brown hair was listening politely, while the last man, our main character, was becoming increasingly annoyed at the man's incessant talking. The bird had flown ahead to preserve her sanity.

"It's all in the neck, you see. Sure, your chest will add a little force to the blow, but a strong neck equals a stronger hit."

"Fascinating." Frank, the curly, brown haired one, said in the best of manners.

"Moronic." Ganondorf, our main character, grumbled under his breath.

"Now, now. Don't be mean."

"I'll say whatever I want to."

"Is he always like this?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"I'm right here, you know."

"Yes, I realize that Ganondorf."

"You're walking in front of us. It's kinda hard to miss you."

"They're all mocking me." Ganondorf growled to himself. He was doing that more and more often of late.

"Anyway, power isn't all that goes into a successful head but. You also need to know where to hit. If you screw up, then you'll hurt yourself as well as the person your hitting."

Ganondorf's hands shook with barely restrained fury. He wanted to hit this man so much, this annoying man with the name Brock-Lee.

"Halt!" A shout rang from behind the group. They turned around to see absolutely nothing.

"Up here!"

The group looked up. It was a man standing on a tree.

"Long time no see, Brock-Lee.

"Lee-Tuce. I thought I smelled your foulness."

"Care to explain?" Ganondorf asked in a tired voice.

"This man and I went to the same school together. We trained under the same master. But when Finis came, he turned himself into a fighter for profit! He's a despicable man!"

"You live too much with the old ways, my old friend. Money is what rules this land, and you're traveling with someone who has quite the profit on his head."

"Huh? Who?" Brock-Lee asked with a vacant expression.

"The man in the armour is worth three thousand finicans if he's dead and five thousand if he's alive."

"What'd you do?" Brock asked Ganondorf.

"I pissed off the right people."

"Wrong, you pissed off Finis." Lee-Tuce interjected. He jumped down from the tree and landed effortlessly on the ground.

"Long nosed man, I will have the reward on your head!"

Ganondorf twitched.

"You've got a death wish, don't you?" He said while cracking his knuckles.

"Stand back friend! It is I who shall take him. It is my duty as one who trained with him."

"That doesn't make any sense." Frank commented.

"You've actually tried making sense out of him?" Ganondorf asked dryly.

Brock rushed at Lee-Tuce and attempted to kick him in the chest. Lee dodged to the side and Brock's attack hit the tree behind him. The tree cracked and fell over. The two of them then proceeded to attack and avoid each other's moves.

"Hey guys, why aren't you moving? What in the…?" Crow asked as she flew down to the group.

"We'll explain later." Frank said tiredly. Ganondorf leaned against a tree and sat down.

"Might as well enjoy the show." He said with a sadistic smirk on his face.

"You're evil." Crow said from her spot on a tree branch.

"I know."

Brock dodged a palm strike from Lee-Tuce and counter attacked with an uppercut while his opponent was still extended. It hit the man straight on in the gut. Lee gasped and flew backwards.

"All right!" Brock yelled in triumph.

"Just how strong is he?" Crow asked with a slightly awed expression.

"Insanely strong. It's the goddess's way of compensating for his lack of brain power."

Lee-Tuce righted himself and managed to avoid landing on his back. He crouched on the ground, trying to regain the breath that had been knocked out of him.

"As brutish as ever I see." He said as he got up.

"Like you're one to talk." Brock said as he shifted his stance.

Lee-Tuce ran forward at a speed that took Brock off guard. He avoided the punch aimed at his face, only to be hit with the knee that was going for his thigh. Brock wobbled for a second, and that was all Lee-Tuce needed to elbow him in the chest. This was followed up with a strike to the neck. Brock attempted to regain his balance by grabbing Lee-Tuce's right shoulder, but it was no use. He flew from the hit and landed on his back some distance away.

"As always, I'm better then you." Lee-Tuce said as he calmly walked over to Brock's prone body.

"You really think so?" Brock said with a bemused expression that seemed out of place in his current situation.

Lee-Tuce snarled and raised his right arm to smash into Brock's body. Or he would have if he could move it. His arm refused to respond to his brain.

"I squeezed your shoulder's pressure point when I grabbed you. You won't be able to move that arm for a long while."

"Damn!" Lee-Tuce cursed as he jumped back to avoid whatever Brock might have planned next.

"I never knew you would use such a subtle tactic, seeing as you're always so boorish in your actions."

"Just because I don't live for money doesn't mean I'm boorish you pampered son of a goat."

"Ha! If I'm a goat, that must make you worse then a goat!"

"Your nothing but a rag-tag mercenary!"

"Like your living so much better as a penniless hermit!"

This shouting match went on for a long time. It seemed like it had been many hours seeing as the sun's position changed. The rest of the group relaxed by the tree's as the two of them threw insults at each other. They had nothing better to do as the two of them yelled at each other for hours.

"I wonder when they're going to stop shouting." Frank said as he lazily pulled some grass off his pant leg.

"I'm wondering how vegetables taste better. Steamed or fried." Ganondorf said in an annoyed tone of voice. He'd been bored ever since the fighting had stopped.

"How dare you insult my mother, you swine!" Brock-Lee shouted.

"She must have been awful to have given birth to one such as you!" Lee-Tuce shouted back.

"All right, I've had enough of this." Ganondorf said as he got up. He snapped his fingers and the ground exploded from underneath Lee-Tuce. The man flew into the air and off into some other part of the forest.

"You could have just done that at the beginning of that you know." Frank remarked as he stood up.

" I just wanted to see how amusing it would turn out."

"You're evil." The curly haired man said as he placed his pack back on his shoulders.

"I know." Ganondorf said with a small smile on his face. With that little delay over, the group of four continued on their way to the village of Hillonds Door.

-

Well, there it is. Not much action, but I hope you all enjoyed it. The group's going to have a few more misadventures before they actually make it to the desert region and find the next general. Man, I need to get back into practice. Need to do those revisions too. Sayonara!


	18. Idiots of Justice

Author Note: I resist you foul writers block! After being stumped on how to do this, I have finally come up with a chapter! It's a little longer then usual, so I hope you all enjoy it. So that I won't get sued, I must say this. I don't own Zelda.

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Idiots of Justice

From the forest surrounding a long chain of mountains emerged the odd group of four. Ganondorf took a deep breath as they surveyed the countryside.

"It's about time." He grumbled.

"That's the village ahead right?" Frank inquired. He was pointing to the group of houses in the distance.

"Yeah." Was all Ganondorf said as a reply.

"It looks nice." Brock said cheerily. The walking didn't seem to have affected him much. The fight he had had a few days ago wasn't showing either.

"It's quaint." Ganondorf said before walking onward. The others followed suit behind him.

After a few minutes of walking in silence, Crow decided to break it. She'd been perched on Frank's shoulder and the quietness was boring to her.

"You rescued this place right? Wow. It almost sounds as if you have a heart."

"Its liberation was merely a byproduct. I had no interest in this place. I only wished to kill the general."

"So you have no feelings at all?" Frank asked.

"None." Ganondorf replied. They were close to the edge of the village when a high-pitched squeal rang out.

"Ganondorf!" A small girl yelled happily as she ran towards the group. She hugged his leg firmly. She wasn't even up to his waist.

"I missed you!"

Crow gawked as Brock failed completely to contain his laughter. Frank simply raised an eyebrow.

Face impassive, Ganondorf lipped three words.

"Not one word."

Frank smiled.

May looked at the three of them shyly.

"Are these guys your friends?" She asked.

Ganondorf allowed himself a small smile and ruffled her hair a bit. It was just something about this little girl that made him feel strange. He felt emotions he didn't know he had when she was around. It made him feel strangely warm. It wasn't a bad feeling, but in it's own way, it disturbed him as much as it comforted him. Or rather, it disturbed him because it comforted him.

"In a manner of speaking." He said in answer to her question. May let go of his leg and bowed slightly.

"It's nice to meet you."

Frank returned the bow.

"It's nice to meet you too."

"Always good to meet new people." Brock added cheerily.

"It's a pleasure." Crow said.

May did a little dance and pointed with delight. "Wow! That bird talked!"

Ganondorf guffawed.

"Yes, she's a very special pet of ours."

"Pet!" Crow squawked. She probably would have launched herself at Ganondorf if Frank hadn't suddenly turned.

"I'll go see about our supplies." He said while dragging Crow along. She fumed noisily on his shoulder.

Brock smiled large and walked somewhere else.

"I'm going to go exploring."

After Brock had walked off, Ganondorf knelt down to May's height.

"You've been doing okay?"

"Sure! The elder lets me live with him. Everyone's been happy since you got rid of that icky vampire."

"That's good." He said simply. He stood back up and began to walk to where the local tavern was located. May walked with him and asked questions about what he had been doing. Ganondorf told her about how he found an idiot and a wimp on his way up the mountain and how they defeated the giant. Of course, Ganondorf said that he did most of the work.

"So then who was that big guy who was with you?"

"Brock? He's the idiot we found on the way down from the mountain."

"He looked funny."

"I thought the same thing."

Ganondorf opened the door and was greeted to several men cheering.

"Hey! Your back!" A man shouted.

"Good to see ya!" Yelled another.

Ganondorf made his way to the barkeep. A man who was enjoying a meal nearby stood up.

"His drinks on me barkeep. The little miss's also."

"Thanks." May said with a smile. Ganondorf simply shrugged. He was still a little uneasy about these people thinking so highly of him.

"A cold beer." Ganondorf said to the barkeep.

"Coming up sir."

"I'd like some milk if you have any." May said as she climbed her way onto the stool.

"Sure thing little one."

Ganondorf waited for his drink quietly. May hummed a wordless tune and twirled a little on the barstool. Ganondorf noticed something on the wall behind May. It was a piece of paper with a picture on it. He got up to get a closer look.

It was indeed a piece of paper with a picture on it. His picture. Some strange writing Ganondorf couldn't understand was on the bottom of it, but Ganondorf could make out what it was. He ripped it off in disgust, but as soon as he did, another sprang into being in its place.

"It just appeared there one day." A man sitting near by said after sipping some of his drink.

"We tried taking it off, but another would just show up. We've been using them for fuel for our fires."

Ganondorf, trying to hang on to his tough guy persona in the midst of all this care and good wishes, simply nodded and returned to his seat. His drink was there waiting for him. He took a deep, long sip and sighed. Alcohol was a blessing after one hundred years oif drinking nothing.

"Iv found you!" A voice yelled from the door. Ganondorf turned to see a lanky man with blond hair and green eyes. He was dressed in what appeared to be an outfit made of nothing but white clothing. White pants, white shirt, white everything.

"Huh?"

"My name is Dorian. In the name of justice, I will arrest you!"

Ganondorf turned back around and started sipping his drink again.

"Pay attention to me!" The blond yelled in indignation.

Ganondorf just kept sipping his drink. May giggled at the man's actions.

"He's funny."

"In the head maybe."

Dorian crackled with fury, literally. Sparks were shooting off from his body.

"You have committed murder and defied the holy laws of Finis. In his name, you shall be brought to justice."

Ganondorf choked on his drink. After he had gotten the liquid down the right pipe, he burst out laughing. Dorian crackled even more now.

"What's so funny?"

"You make no sense boy."

"I make perfect sense! Finis embodies all that is justice! Under his rule, crime has plummeted and he wages holy wars against countries that have so long deserved it."

"In other words, you're a moron."

"I dare you to say that again!"

"You're a moron."

"Moron moron!" May said in a singsong voice. "What's a moron?"

"Fanatical idiots like this guy who don't see the reality of the situation."

"Oh."

"You have corrupted that child! This seed of evil must be eliminated before it can grow even larger!"

The man extended his index finger and energy crackled around it. It crackled even more for about a minute or so until a beam of light shot from the finger directly at May. The child would have been impaled if it hadn't been for Ganondorf's large hand blocking the beam. Ganondorf shifted his hand slightly and the beam went back towards it's sender, knocking the fellow out the door.

"Bad move boy."

"Keep him outside please." The bartender asked Ganondorf in a pleading voice. "My furniture is expensive."

Ganondorf patted May on the head and said, "Stay here."

Dorian was struggling to get up as Ganondorf walked through the door.

"What devilish trick was that!"

"A little thing called experience."

Dorian finally got to his feet and stood triumphantly.

"You may be strong, but I have already sent my comrades after your comrades. By now they have killed your allies and will aid me in your defeat!"

As if on cue, Brock walked up to them dragging an unconscious person by his color.

"This loser attacked me out of nowhere." He said as he threw him onto the ground. Dorian stared at the body disbelievingly. Then, another body fell, this time from about thirty feet in the air. The man was also unconscious.

"What was that?" Dorian exclaimed.

"Crow." Ganondorf said simply.

Next, Frank came up with his arm around the shoulder of a sobbing young man.

"I believe this kid with the existential crises belongs to you."

The young man walked over to Dorian and started crying on his shoulder.

"What did you do?" Dorian asked in a dazed voice.

"Talk."

Dorian picked up the two unconscious bodies and slung them over his shoulders.

"You may have beaten us for now, but we shall be back!"

Dorian then turned around and proceeded to run like hell. His conscious cohort followed him, sobbing pathetically.

"You get those supplies Frank?"

"Yes."

"Good. We leave in the morning."

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This little group is gone for now, but they will plague Ganondorf's crew again with their annoying actions. You might not have noticed, but this chapter expressed my utmost dislike for people who refuse to see reality as it is. All in all, this feeling helped me write this chapter. The next General will be coming soon, though it will probably be something you won't expect. Sayonara!


	19. As the Crow Flies

Author's note: FREEEEDOOOOM! School is over for me! I am so sorry this is late, but I was studying for finals for over three weeks. It was exhausting. It's here though, the latest in my story. I don't own Zelda, now please read and enjoy.

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As the Crow Flies

"I was born in a desert he says. I can find a path he says. It'll be easy he says. Guess what? WE'RE FUCKING LOST!"

Crow's shouting did little to lighten Ganondorf's foul mood. He sneered at her as he trudged through what seemed like endless sand. They had been traveling for over two weeks. Supplies were becoming low and every one was miserable.

"You know what I like about eagles? They taste just like chicken."

"If you ate your own foot you'd say it tasted like chicken."

Frank raised his hands in an attempt to quell the argument.

"Please, this does not advance our cause."

Brock laughed cheerfully.

"It is a lack of entertainment that makes us argue. To break the monotony, I'll share with you the fruits of my training on the proper execution of a headbutt."

Ganondorf growled. "We've heard this one before."

Crow laughed harshly. "Whatever he has to say is infinitely more pleasing then what you have to offer."

"Why couldn't you just squawk like the rest of your brainless species?"

Crow looked at Ganondorf and depths hatred showed through her avian features.

"I've had enough." She said simply. She launched from Frank's shoulder, streaking into the sky.

"Good riddance!" Ganondorf yelled after her.

"You shouldn't have done that." Frank said dejectedly.

"What difference does it make?"

Brock looked at the two of them, confused.

"She'll be back right? I mean, we're a team."

"She held herself apart from this group from the beginning." Ganondorf said, kicking the sand.

"What do you mean?"

"One the conditions Crow made with us was that she could leave at any time. I'm not sure she's going to be coming back."

"A half member in a team is as good as no member. We don't need the bird." Ganondorf said tersely. He wanted this conversation to end.

"She was still an ally. She could view where none of us could and come back safely."

"If scouting is what you want, then I can easily summon up a lesser spirit to do the job. We have no need for the talking feather duster."

Frank sighed again. It was like trying to talk to a brick wall. "That's exactly the kind of thinking that made her leave. She is not a dumb animal, she's an intelligent being."

Ganondorf snorted. He had a few choice thoughts on that subject, but he kept them to himself.

"You really don't care, do you? She has feelings Ganondorf; she has emotions and coherent thoughts. Your constant referral to the lesser cousins of her species is abuse no one would want to endure. I'm not surprised she left; I'm wondering why she didn't do so earlier. She has a name also. I haven't heard you once call her by it."

Ganondorf shook with barely restrained anger. He did NOT like being lectured to.

"Then what do you propose, oh wise man of logic? What does your infinite wisdom suggest to my ignorant and foolish self."

"You are many things Ganondorf, ignorant isn't one of them."

"You should apologize." Brock said simply. He was feeling left out of the conversation.

"That's an excellent idea."

"No." Ganondorf said with a finality that was palpable. "I will not apologize to that cynical, pompous fowl."

Frank and Brock stayed silent. They knew that he wouldn't listen.

"Besides, we'll do just fine without her."

Ganondorf had no idea how wrong he was.

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"How the hell do you kill these things!"

A small band of creatures was attacking them. They appeared to be made of the sand itself, albeit just slightly darker then the rest of it. Humanoid in shape, they attacked with much strength and ferocity. Having no real solid form, the band of adventurer's had yet to fell even one of them.

"They're distant relatives to the Geons! Very territorial, we must have trespassed!" Frank yelled as he slashed at one of them with his swords. It passed right through without damaging the creature.

"That explains a bunch!" Brock shouted in response. He had been beating the beasts with his monstrous strength and agility, but they simply reformed and attacked again. He was bleeding from some cuts he had suffered on his arms and chest. The attackers could harden specific areas of their bodies into blades. Brock was at a huge disadvantage because he had no blade to distance his body from the attackers. He had taken the most damage in the group.

Ganondorf had realized early in the fight that attacking with fists was a bad idea, so he had taken out his broad sword and was cleaving them to pieces with it. They, like all the others, reformed and attacked again. "They have to have some kind of weakness, think of something!"

An idea came to Frank as he parried an attack by one of the sand creatures. He extricated himself and tried to gain some distance before shouting it to Ganondorf.

"Hurricane force winds should disperse them. Try that!"

Ganondorf cursed under his breath in Gerudo, a language neither of his companions understood.

"I can't summon a hurricane! Not even with the two Triforce pieces. I haven't the time to gather the power!"

"Try a flood then!"

"Not enough moisture in the air!"

"What?"

"I can't make something from nothing! Magic simply adds or takes away from what's already there!"

They were getting into even worse trouble now. The three of them were tiring, especially Brock, but the creatures didn't seem to have fatigued at all. They seemed to be attacking even more viciously then before.

"If only Crow were here!" Frank lamented.

"Yeah, she could have just blown them away." Brock agreed before dodging a particularly nasty sand blade. He couldn't go on much longer, the loss of blood was getting to him more then the fatigue was.

Ganondorf, though he would never admit it, even at the end of his days, was thinking much the same thing. He squelched this thought angrily. It had no place in battle.

"Deal with it!" He yelled at the two of them. They threw themselves into the fray with earnest, refusing to go down quietly. They dodged, struck, and continued to fight their attackers. Still, nothing was working. Attacks either just slid through them, or they reformed and attacked again. They seemed invincible, unkillable.

An idea suddenly came to Ganondorf, shocking in its simplicity. He berated himself for a second on not thinking about it before. He sheathed his sword and raised his hands. The air crackled and sparked around them.

"Get down!"

From his hands spewed forth flames of intense heat. The fire contacted with the sand monsters and they seemed to glitter and slow down before they stopped moving entirely. They sparkled in the sunlight. They had been turned into glass.

Frank got back up, sheathed his swords and went to examine the solidified creatures. Ganondorf went over to where Brock had collapsed on the sand. The fighter had taken the most damage from the attacks.

"Brock-Lee, you still alive?"

Brock chuckled.

"Yeah."

"Good. Get up, we're moving."

Frank looked up at the Gerudo.

"Where to? We don't exactly know where we're going."

"Before the bird left us, I was following the trail of vegetation. Plants mean water, water means civilization."

"How can you be sure?"

Before Ganondorf could answer, a moderately sized fish landed on the Gerudo's head from above. A screeching laugh echoed down to them. Ganondorf removed the fish and glared at the figure as it slowly descended from the sky.

"I thought you might be hungry." Crow said as she landed on Frank's shoulder.

"Why did you come back?" Frank questioned the feathered companion on his shoulder.

"I figured you guys would be lost without me, so I decided to come back out of the goodness of my heart."

Ganondorf was about to say something nasty, but Crow continued to talk.

"It turns out the tyrant wasn't too far off. A city about three times larger then the village lies around twenty to thirty miles to the northwest. It's where I got the fish."

The entire party stared at Crow with varying levels of shock. She actually had said something that bordered on a compliment to Ganondorf. The Gerudo was first to recover.

"Then we should head there. Lead the way, Crow."

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Damn. I'm having trouble getting the scene change thing to stay when I post this chapter. It's really annoying. I feel kind of refreshed now that I have finally posted this. There'll be another installment in "The Musings of Finis" soon, probably in a week or two. I hope to update more with summer here, but I suffer from laziness, writer's block, and several interesting novels from my favorite authors, so nothing is guaranteed. I'll try my best though. Sayonara!


	20. General Three: Kaze

Author's note: GEEEEZ! I hate writers block! This was like the worst kind too! I knew exactly what I wanted to happen, but had no idea how to put it to paper. Anyway, due to this, I ended up working on it longer then usual. It's one of my larger chapters, so I hope you all enjoy it. I apologize for the delay, so here it is. I don't own Zelda, please read and review.

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General Three: Kaze

Our motley group of adventurers had finally reached the dessert city of Kotsuna. It was made up of many buildings surrounding a very large oasis. It was as large as any lake in the more temperate regions of Kyteria. It would have been a paradise in any place, but here, in this hellish region, it was amazing.

Even more wondrous was what was being sold in the shops. Fine glasswork was everywhere. Beautiful figures, to glass sheets, to jewelry. It sparkled in the sunlight, making the streets seem to glow with an otherworldly radiance.

"What's with all the sparkly trash?" Ganondorf asked no one in particular. He wasn't overly impressed by all of this.

"Kotsuna is one of the most architectural cities in all of Kyteria! How could you call it trash!"

"I kinda have to agree with the tyrant here. I mean, it's pretty and all, but why would Finis put a general here? It makes little sense." Crow added from atop Frank's shoulder. This had become her favorite resting place, as Frank was most likely to be the safest perch of the three humanoids.

"Do you know how expensive good glass is? This entire city is a huge financial source!"

Ganondorf looked around for a second time. "I'm guessing the pretty statues sell as well as the glass sheet's. Trivial."

Frank huffed but said no more. Some people just had no appreciation for art.

"We should gather information and restock. We lost a lot of water on the way here." Brock added in. He was attempting to break the tension that had, once again, descended upon the party.

"That's a good idea."

"So miracles do exist!" Ganondorf exclaimed loudly.

"Should we split up?" Crow squawked.

"That didn't go so well last time."

So, sticking together this time, they try to engage the populace in conversation. Now, one would think that three men and a bird that can talk would attract some attention. No one even noticed.

"Let me try," Brock said after the third person completely ignored Frank. Ganondorf guffawed.

"If Frank couldn't get them to talk to him, what chance do you have?'

Brock proceeded to walk past the large Gerudo, stepping on his foot as he did so. Ganondorf winced. It felt as if a boulder had dropped on it.

"Sorry dorfy."

"This is what I get for doing favors for goddesses," Ganondorf grumbled under his breath.

Brock grabbed the arm of the nearest person. Thankfully for him, it was a man, thus avoiding many complications.

"Hey now, I'm in a hurry. Business and all."

"Funny you should say that. We're in a hurry also," Frank said in a relieved voice. Finally someone was talking.

"Then you should have this oaf let go of me. I have a job to go do."

Ganondorf answered this time. "We do also. You can help with it. If you do, I won't have to rip your arms off."

"So much for tact," Frank muttered. The man Brock was holding looked terrified. He struggled to get out of Brock's grip, but it was like a vice. He had no chance.

"Please calm down. My associate was merely joking," Frank said in an attempt to calm the poor man down. He stopped trying to break out of Brock's grip when Frank got between him and Ganondorf. Brock let him go after the struggling ceased.

"We just want to ask a few questions."

"Make them quick. I'm gonna be late for business."

Frank sighed in relief. It looked as if violence wasn't going to have to happen to make their goals come to pass, for once.

"We would like to know where the general of this region would be."

The man looked at them skeptically. "You're actually looking for him? Good luck. No one knows where he comes from."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ganondorf growled. The man flinched and stepped back a few paces.

"It means exactly what I said. He just pops out of nowhere for taxes and quelling uprisings. Every one acts calm in this town because Kaze kills whoever causes any trouble."

"Wait, there's a rebellion against Finis going on? I thought all of them were destroyed."

"One was hiding out near here, trying to mess with Finis's supply trains now that he's at war out of country, but Kaze found them and killed most of the members."

"By himself?" Crow asked disbelieving.

"Yep. As soon as any hint of conflict touches outside air, Kaze shows up. Now, if you're quite done, I need to get to work."

The man scurried off to whatever job he had that kept him so occupied. Ganondorf looked around to Frank.

"That wasn't overly helpful."

"Maybe, but maybe not. He said that Kaze comes to quell rebellions. Maybe we could form a rebellion group."

"And just how long would that take?"

"Several weeks maybe."

"Right, we're not doing that. I say we just pick a fight with some idiots to lure the guy out."

Frank looked at the Gerudo sadly. "Must it always result in mass violence with you?"

"Yep."

"I'm not against fighting, but do we really want to go and start one? It just doesn't seem like the right thing to do." Brock said a little too loudly.

After much deliberation, and Ganondorf calling Frank a wuss, they finally agreed on a plan. They would all join in on a fight already in progress, thus satisfying everybody. With their goal in mind, they headed to what looked like the nearest bar.

"Why a bar?" Crow squawked. "You just want to get tanked, don't you?"

"Quiet Crow. The reason we are heading to a bar is because a fight always happens in a bar. It's not touching the outside air, and these people have to be taking out their aggression somewhere. No populace is this focused on work."

Ganondorf appeared to be right. The occupants of the bar were very tense. A passing glance could show that all of them had much suppressed anger inside. It was like a dam that was fit to burst if pushed just the wrong way. Eventually, this dam of tension broke, in the form of two men playing a card game and gambling.

"Hey! You cheated!"

The taller of the two jumped at the shorter on and grabbed him by the shirt. He lifted his scowling face to his own scowling face and they scowled at each other.

"I want my money back."

"I didn't cheat stupid! I'm not giving you anything!"

The shorter man struck first with his knee to the taller man's stomach. He hunched over and let go of the shorter one. He was about to hit him again when someone grabbed his hand.

"It's not nice to hit someone when he's down." Brock said with a smile. He then threw the person into another table. One thing led to another, and eventually everybody was partaking in the brawl. Everyone that is, except Ganondorf, Frank, and Crow.

"You think you can take me? I am Brock-Lee, the greatest master of the martial arts!' Brock proclaimed loudly as he smashed the heads of two hapless bar fighters together. Another man charged him, and was brought down with a kick to the head by the enthusiastic fighter. Brock was laughing through the whole thing, he seemed to be enjoying himself immensely.

"Easily amused, isn't he?" Ganondorf commented from the side.

"I suppose this is a fair compromise, somewhat." Frank said tiredly.

They watched Brock toss around the other people getting into the brawl. It spread like wildfire, almost everyone in the building was getting involved. Ganondorf snatched what looked like an untouched glass of alcohol from a table before some unfortunate person fell onto it with a crash. He took a deep drink and sighed.

"Oi! Brock! Try not to smash the furniture!"

"Yes! Please listen to him! I have to pay for all this!" The barkeep shouted from behind his counter.

Brock, however, was much too caught up in the moment to care about unimportant things like collateral damage. Pretty soon, almost none of the combatants were standing. Ganondorf frowned. This was beginning to become counter productive. He placed his empty glass on the counter and approached an unconscious man. He kicked the downed fighter in the ribs, sending the poor man into the air and through the closed door. The barkeep started sobbing, he was going to have to spend a lot of money for a new door.

Any and all fighting ceased almost immediately when the door splintered apart. The once enraged men suddenly took on a look of utter panic. They dropped to the ground and pretended to act knocked out, all those that didn't run away that is. Ganondorf smiled. It was now.

The wind picked up a bit, and then beat down on the area with the force of a hurricane. The sand swirled, obscuring every one's view. Ganondorf though, having been raised in a place where sandstorms were commonplace, knew what to look for. He saw the silhouette of a skinny man approaching them.

"Showtime."

The four of them went out into the sandstorm. Crow eventually had to perch on Frank again because flying became too difficult. Suddenly, the storm stopped.

"I am Kaze, lord of this region. You who have broken my laws, I shall punish you severely!"

They now had a clearer look at the man, and he wasn't all that impressive. He was a little short, skinny, not remarkable looking in anyway really. His short black hair looked a little greasy, and he appeared to have little muscle on him at all.

"I wasted my valuable time for this?" Ganondorf groaned. It was true, compared to the previous two generals, this man was quite shockingly average.

"This is the terrible Kaze who annihilated the resistance? Ha! He just looks like an ugly little human to me." Crow squawked out. Kaze fumed at their words.

"How dare you!"

The wind picked up again, but it was much more controlled this time. Sand began to move at extremely fast speeds, becoming sharp. Even a little grain could cut like a dagger at the speeds it was going at. It bombarded the group from all sides, slicing clothing and flesh.

"It's moving too fast for me to control!" Crow yelled over the gale, she had to hide in Frank's jacket to avoid the sand, but it wasn't helping much. Ganondorf erected a barrier around them, but too much sand was still inside the barrier he made, and they continued to be attacked.

After a while, the wind died down and Kane's smirking form could be seen once more.

"Do you see now? I am as powerful as the air itself, and just as random! I am the lord of chaos, the great Kaze!"

Frank stepped to the side and raised his voice.

"What you say is nonsensical. In nature there exists order and chaos. Order is typically linear, and chaos is random. If you are lord of uncontrollable events, then you control nothing. If you control uncontrollable events, then they cannot be chaotic. So even to create what appears to be chaos, your very act of creation constitutes the imposition of order.

"You fools are no different then those that have come before you. You are incapable of comprehending chaos as power!"

"I hasten to disagree. However chaotically you direct your wind, you send it first in one direction and then another. That is the imposition of your will, which has no explanation but the creation of order. The power you claim is a lie."

As Kaze ponders this problem, Ganondorf has slipped unnoticed to within striking distance from behind the left shoulder of the wind master. He struck the back of the small man's head with his fist, effectively knocking him out.

"Well, that was easy." Brock commented.

"His knees buckled as easily as his argument."

"There's nothing quite as linear as a roundhouse right," Ganondorf said, smirking.

"Had you given me another moment, this controversy might have been resolved with my logic."

"Logic is overrated in a sandstorm." Crow squawked.

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Not much of an epic battle, now is it? There's an epic battle in the works, but I won't tell you when. . For those who enjoy the counter point to this story "The Musings of Finis", a new chapter to that is also in the works. My mojo is finally running again, so hopefully the next couple of chapters shall be swifter then this one. Sayonara!


	21. Revelations Again

Author's Note: I hate hurricanes. They really put a crimp on writing. Rita made me evacuate, and I was so worried about whether or not my house would still be there that I found it difficult to concentrate. Then come the school repercussions. Iv been making up everything and only caught up just this week. I'm tired, but I managed to catch up with writing also. Sorry it took so long. I hope you enjoy it.

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Revelations Again

Ganondorf was smiling, which was strange. Frank was frowning, which was also strange. Brock and Crow simply looked at the two of them in slightly worried anticipation. They knew an argument was going to break out. The tension had been growing more and more as they walked back to the village that had become their main base of operations.

"I still think your method of getting answers was unnecessary." Frank said at last. His scowl deepened as he remembered the events of two days past.

"It was fun for me, and that's what counts." Ganondorf responded, his mood not turning sour as it usually did when Frank pestered him. He was still happy that he got to let loose on the hapless former general Kaze.

(Flashback)

"So you see, it would be in your best interest's to help us. After all, I doubt Finis is going to be very forgiving to one of his subordinates who has failed as completely as you have. If you give us the information we need, then we may be able to defeat Finis, and you would go unpunished."

Kaze responded to Frank's logic by spitting at his feet. The wind master was tied with the rope that the group had brought with them and his powers were blocked via Crow's influence. Now that the eagle had more time to fully grasp it, her similar powers allowed her to keep him from extending his energies into the air around them. The little man looked miserable, even as he sneered at Frank.

"I'm not telling anything to you filth. You'll die soon enough."

It was then that Ganondorf stepped up. He nudged Frank aside. "My turn."

Ganondorf got very close to Kaze, his face was only a few centimeters from the little man's own. He smiled an evil smile, and Kaze began to sweat. The man in front of him was giving off such a feeling of dread and killing intent that you'd have to be blind not to notice it.

'Who is this guy?' Kaze thought furiously. 'He's dangerous.'

"Perhaps you have heard the rumors of what I can do with electricity."

Ganondorf's right hand crackled with power. Kaze couldn't take his eyes off of it. It sparkled black light. The strangeness of this caused the hairs on the back of Kaze's neck to rise. He found the uncanny glean of Ganondorf's eagerness more frightening the actual lightening itself. Ganondorf's smile grew wider.

"What would happen if I placed this here?" Ganondorf said softly as his hand hovered over Kaze's nether regions. Kaze's fear doubled. He couldn't take this. It was too much.

"I'll tell you whatever you want! Please, for the love of all that's sacred, don't do it!"

Ganondorf's shoulders slumped in disappointment. As he reached to do the deed anyway, Frank grabbed his wrist. Ganondorf turned on him angrily.

"Why did you stop me?"

"That's against the rules."

"What rules?"

"He will talk, thus you don't torture him."

"But I want to."

"Too bad." Brock said, as he stood beside Frank, ready to back him up. Ganondorf turned away in disgust, wrenching his hand from Frank's grip. Frank looked at the hapless Kaze and asked, "What do you know about Finis?"

"Finis? Oh, he's nothing. He doesn't tell us anything."

Ganondorf turned his head around with a grin. Kaze freaked out.

"Wait! Wait! I'll talk!"

Ganondorf turned back around in a huff and Kaze breathed a sigh of relief. If he could have moved his arms, he would be rubbing them together worriedly.

"It's true that he doesn't tell us anything about himself, but I have managed to find out some things about his past."

"Such as?" Crow squawked.

"He got kicked his island because he got too strong and dangerous."

"I already know that." Ganondorf growled. Now that he was talking, he had his eyes on the little man. He was growing impatient with all this waiting.

"Well then," Kaze said with a sly look, "I don't suppose you know the whole story do you?"

"Enlighten me." Ganondorf asked while examining his hand. Kaze shuddered.

"This is what I found out. Finis wasn't banished only because he grew powerful. It's because of how he grew powerful."

"Go on." Frank said.

"Finis… did experiments, experiments on people. He would take people off the streets and examine them and test them. They didn't always survive. In fact, most did not. He would open the bodies and explore them, discovering what made it work, and how you could break it. He was looking for a way to cheat death, and in the process grew stronger."

"Did he succeed in his experimentation?" Frank asked.

"I don't think he's immortal, but I do think he managed to slow the aging process. Regardless, when the leaders of the island found out, they were furious. With their combined power, they forced him to leave the island and erected a shield to keep him out. That's why he's conquering these countries. He wants to create an army massive enough to invade an island full of sorcerers."

"Did you ever do anything like that?' Crow asked Ganondorf. Ganondorf frowned.

"I found experiments like that… distasteful." Frank smiled. Ganondorf's frown grew deeper. He walked over to Kaze and placed his hand on his head. Kaze then began to scream.

"What are you doing!" Frank asked in alarm.

"Removing his fangs." Ganondorf said coolly. He removed his hand, and a smoke ring floated into the air and mixed with it.

"I leave you to walk this world as a beggar, powerless and small."

Kaze didn't respond, as he was lying unconscious on the floor. Frank glared at Ganondorf. A serene voice rang out.

"You could have done that without the pain, Triforce bearer." DIN said from behind them.

"But then I wouldn't have had any fun. Now, are you here to give power?"

DIN did respond, but Ganondorf right hand glowed anyway. He felt a rush as yet another piece was restored to him. He smiled.

"Thank you goddess."

DIN vanished in a flash that blinded them all. Ganondorf scowled as he blinked to clear his eyes. "Show off."

(End Flashback)

"I think you were unnecessarily cruel." Frank said sternly. Ganondorf's just grinned more.

"It got the job done though. Kaze is no longer a threat."

This continued as they reached the woods that bordered the village and the mountains they had just crossed. They soon noticed that theirs was not the only noise in the forest. A raggedly old man was mumbling to himself and stumbling along. He was jerky and clumsy.

"I think he's ill." Frank whispered. The stranger turned and looked directly at Ganondorf then. The first thing they saw was what they expected, the face of a frightened man. Then the eyes glowed red and the irises turned green. Around these eyes, an aura of purple, red, and black flashed, faintly visible. The colors disappeared, but the eyes remained.

"I know that power in your hand." The man said in an unnaturally deep voice. Ganondorf stood stock-still. He knew what this thing was.

"Oh shit."

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Well, I'm certainly evil now aren't I? If you can figure out who the stranger is, then you're perceptive. Next chapter will be a good one, but IV given up on trying to predict when the next one will be. Too many things happening to predict much of anything. Sayonara!


	22. A Clash of Unequals

Authors note: I suppose you've all been wondering where I have been. It goes a little something like this.

(A month ago) "Lets get started on that chapter. Wait, why is the screen flickering?" Screen dies. "Ah crap."

(Three weeks later.) "Yes! My computer is finally fixed! Now I can finally make a chapter! Oh wait, it's finals week this week. Damn." Winged Knight studies for tests.

(This week) And here we are. I worked really hard to try and make this worth the wait. I hope you enjoy it. I don't own Zelda, please read and enjoy.

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A Clash of Unequals

"Oh, shit."

These words, though uttered softly, seemed to echo throughout the woods. They were said with nervousness, even fear. This was strange, considering from whom it came.

'How is he still alive?' Ganondorf thought fiercely. 'This is bad.'

"What is that thing?" Crow squawked. She shivered as if cold. This man, thing, in front of them unnerved her.

"I know that power in your hand." The thing that was not a man spoke again. It smiled and began to walk forward, slowly and suddenly, not as jerky as it was before. "Shall we play awhile?"

"We have to run." Ganondorf whispered so that only Frank would hear. His voice was tight, which alarmed Frank. He didn't think anything could shake the Gerudo man so.

Unfortunately, Brock heard Ganondorf also. He stepped ahead of him and stuck out his fist. "I can take him!"

Ganondorf and Frank looked at each other for a brief instant before they both grabbed the overly enthusiastic man and dragged him off in a run.

"Wait! We're going the wrong way!" Brock yelled in indignation. Ganondorf simply ignored him and kept dragging him along. Frank did the same. Crow had opted for flying rather then staying perched on Frank. Despite the large man's struggles, they were out of sight relatively quickly. The thing just kept walking as it had been, unbothered that its prey had run away. It was more fun this way.

"I'm going to find you." It sang in an unnaturally deep voice. The thing smiled. Its fun had begun.

- - - - - - - -

"Why'd you stop me!" Brock screamed.

"Because he would have killed you, fool." Ganondorf shot back. He rubbed his forehead with his palm. He was sweating. He never sweated! He stared at his hand angrily, admonishing himself for losing his nerve like that. He looked back up at the group, face tight.

"We have a problem."

"Explanation?" Frank inquired. He didn't know what could possibly make Ganondorf flee rather then fight, but it couldn't be good.

"A thing I thought was dead, something that should be dead!" Ganondorf said as much to himself as to Frank and the others. "A being of immense power has shown up here, Majora."

"Please tell me you're joking."

Ganondorf looked at Frank confusedly. "You know of Majora?"

"A powerful being who is mentioned in many books describing demons and monsters, but I thought it didn't exist."

"Are you sure it wasn't just some old guy with freaky eyes? I mean, I know he was threatening, but he didn't look like a monster." Brock said as he sat back against a tree. He had no idea who this Majora person was. All he knew is that they had just run away in a panic from something.

"No." Crow added with a shudder. "That was defiantly not some old human. There was something more to it, like there was someone else in it. It was… disturbing. Makes my feathers curl just thinking about it."

"You mentioned that he should be dead, why?"

"Because he was killed. The guy who killed him managed to find a way to match the freak's power and incinerated him. It seems he didn't do his job quite right."

'Damn it hero,' Ganondorf muttered in his mind, 'You screwed up and left me to clean up your mess.'

"So how do we deal with this? Do we just ignore him, or will he come hunting us?" Brock stood up. He brushed off his pants and continued. "I say we take him out. We have no idea who might get hurt if we leave him alone."

Ganondorf's head perked up in alarm. He flexed his legs and jumped, adding a push from using a small bit of air magic. He soared into the air and looked at the direction where they were going before Majora had joined the path. In the distance, but a mere couple of days away, was the village of Hillonds Door. He landed roughly and grunted. He had forgotten, in his shock, to create a buffer for his descent.

"What was that about?" Crow squawked.

"It's heading for the village."

"Are you sure?" Frank asked quickly. It would be the worst thing in the world if Ganondorf were right.

"Of course I'm sure!" Ganondorf growled. "The freak is heading in the same direction we were."

"What do we do then? Surely Majora won't leave the people unharmed."

"I'll have to kill him, host and all." Ganondorf intoned solemnly. Whenever the thought crossed his mind of that monster getting into the village, he saw May's lifeless body strewn on the ground. He wouldn't let that happen!

"You can't! It's not right!" Frank protested.

"I agree." Brock interjected. "You can't do that to an innocent."

"Then what are we supposed to do!" Ganondorf more shouted than asked. "It's the most practical way to handle it, I have no choice!"

"It's not moral."

"Don't you throw your damn morals at me! I don't need them. It's the only option I have, I know of no spell that could release the man from Majora. Besides, death is better then having the freak eat away at you from the inside."

"But how do you even know that killing the host will kill Majora?" Frank inquired. Ganondorf stopped short of the snide remark he was about to say. He hadn't thought of that.

"For all you know," Frank continued, "Killing the host might only make him a spirit, and he'll search for another host. The closest source of people are those of the village, and he would undoubtedly go there in order to find a new body. That would eliminate all the hard work we had done."

"Then what do we do? I have no other options."

"But I do."

Frank pulled out a book from his pack and flipped to a page.

"Advanced exorcisms spells and other white magic. As much as I dislike magic, my mother wouldn't let me leave until I agreed to carry at least this one book with me. The only downside is… I haven't practiced. It would take ten or so minutes for me to complete the spell. By then we all would probably be dead."

Ganondorf's mind spun with this newfound information. Perhaps they now had the tools to stop Majora, but how would they properly use them? A thought suddenly struck Ganondorf and he grinned.

"I have a plan."

- - - - - - - -

Majora stumbled along back on his walk towards the village; he had given up on tracking the four strange ones thirty minutes into looking for them. To be more specific, he was heading to a place just a little beyond the village. He sensed a lingering energy there, one he could absorb. It was the perfect kind for him, because this energy had no physical body to prevent him from taking it.

A small explosion erupted in front of him, shattering the ground. Majora stopped and smiled evilly. They had come back.

"Majora, we need to talk."

Majora swiveled around, stumbling for a second before regaining his balance.

"Talk? Why talk? Why not play?" He said with a maniacal tinge to his unnaturally deep voice.

"It is on subject of playing. We are going to play a game."

Majora squealed, which was a rather disturbing sound. Frank covered his ears to block out the harsh noise. The others just stood stone faced.

"What kind of game? If it isn't fun, then I'm not going to play."

"Majora," Ganondorf spoke, "I know you do not have all your power. I also know that you are without a body. Here are the rules of the game. You are going to fight the bird, this big guy, and me. While we are fighting, this man here will be chanting a spell to remove you from that body. If you can disable the three of us from fighting before he can finish his spell, you can have all our power. That should be enough to restore your body if you win."

"But what if you win?"

Ganondorf grinned.

"Then I take your soul and do what I want with it."

Majora stared at them for what seemed like forever. Ganondorf shifted his footing, wondering if the beast would agree. After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Majora laughed.

"On one hand, I gain everything. On the other, I lose everything. What a marvelous game. I accept."

With that, the proverbial starting bell had gone off. Frank opened his book and began to chant. He stuck his free hand in front of him as if he were in prayer.

"Om Sanmanji Handomei Kiriku. Om Sanmanji Handomei Kiriku." He repeated over and over. A slight tinge of white seemed to surround him as he spoke these words. Ganondorf and company, however, did not notice this. They were too busy fighting for their lives.

Ganondorf attempted to strike first. He kept it light, for him anyway, in an attempt not to kill the host right off. Majora caught his fist and frowned.

"Weak."

The next thing Ganondorf knew was that something very hard had hit him in the stomach and that he was flying through the air. As the ground became increasingly further away, Ganondorf realized that the speed at which he was flying was interfering with his control. He couldn't right himself.

As Ganondorf flew off, Brock jumped in. He started off with a roundhouse kick, followed smoothly by another one with his opposite leg. After seeing what had happened to Ganondorf, he decided that holding back would be a stupid idea. Both of these hits were blocked, though Majora seemed happier with Brock's attack then Ganondorf's.

"That's pretty good." He said as he counter attacked. Now it was Brocks turn to block. The jerkiness they had seen before vanished as Majora leveled into Brock. Each hit was like it came from a giant, and Brock would feel his arms growing numb from blocking. He decided it was time for a desperate measure.

Majora punched towards Brocks stomach. Brock grounded himself before it hit and gasped as it connected, then he coughed. Blood trickled down his chin as he smiled.

"Gotcha."

He grabbed Majora's arm and drew him in closer. After that, he rammed his forehead onto Majora's skull. This stunned the creature for a moment, allowing Brock to put his whole body into an uppercut, which lifted the foul being off the ground and into the air, though not as high as Ganondorf went.

"Crow! Do it now!" Brock yelled before dropping to one knee. He coughed up some more blood and put a hand over his mouth. Air was having a hard time getting into his lungs.

Crow, who until now had just been hovering on the sidelines, flapped her wings hard, creating a huge tornado. It enveloped Majora completely. The wind inside cut at the creature, injuring it even as it fell back to the ground. Crow cut off the whirlwind after a while, feeling sure that she had immobilized the beast. The laughter that rang through the forest told her that she was wrong.

"So much fun! You two are loads of fun!" Majora cackled as he rose from the ground. He was cut in multiple spots and his head had a gigantic bruise on it, but otherwise he seemed fine.

"Too bad it has to end soon."

Meanwhile, Ganondorf had finally begun to descend. Unfortunately, he was still going too fast to control his body.

'Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it!' He screeched in his mind as the ground came closer and closer. He gripped his talisman and drew from the Triforce.

"Damn it!" He yelled as he struck his free hand downward, pouring a huge amount of energy through it and towards the ground. He slowed until, finally, touching down with relative softness. He looked around, noticing he was away from where the fight was. He ran to where he felt Majora's foul presence, knowing he would need to hurry.

He was greeted to a most unpleasant sight when he got there. Majora stood, holding Brock off the ground by the neck. Brock hung limply, his eyes glazed over. His clothes were ripped in several places and his body appeared to be a mass of bruises. Crow lay off to the side, not looking much better and also unmoving.

Wasting no time, Ganondorf charged in. He threw out his fist, now covered with a purple aura, which connected with Majora's face. The beast's green eyes flared in surprise as it flew back. Brock slumped to the ground. He did not move, but his chest rose and fell repeatedly, albeit slowly. He was still alive.

Not wanting to lose his advantage, Ganondorf rushed ahead to where Majora had regained his footing. He struck out again with his aura covered fists, hitting and pummeling away at Majora, all thoughts about holding back were long gone. As he reared his fist back to deliver a crushing blow, Majora struck his palm to Ganondorf's chest. Fire laced through his hand and onto Ganondorf, forcing him back and burning him. Majora rose with a grin.

"That's much better. You're not like those other two. They were fun for a while, but then they got boring near the end."

Ganondorf rose with hate and rage in his eyes. He drew huge amounts of power from the Triforce and from his amulet, pumping all that raw force directly into his body. He punched to his side, breaking a tree in half. He then caught it as it was about to fall and swung it at Majora. Majora swatted it aside as if it was nothing. Ganondorf dropped the stump he was holding and barreled in close.

An aura of power surrounded the two of them as they exchanged blows. Ganondorf's was purple, while Majora's was a blackish red. Punch after punch, spell after spell, and kick after kick was exchanged between the two colossal powerhouses. To Ganondorf, it was as if an eternity had passed before he finally broke away from Majora. He panted heavily. His body couldn't take much more of this and he resisted attempting more explosive spells in this forest for fear he could be trapped in fire. Long-range combat was also not an option for the result could be similar and the woods would be forever lost to the villagers.

Majora, on the other hand, didn't appear to be fatigued at all. Even with all the cuts and bruises covering the old body he was inhabiting, he did not slouch or pant. He only smiled.

Ganondorf grimaced and drew his sword. It was all or nothing now. He had to end this before he wound up getting killed.

"Om Sanmanji Handomei Kiriku. Om Sanmanji Handomei Kiriku. Om!" Frank shouted with finality. The tinge of white had grown to a sparkling aura, which proceeded to shoot at Majora. The beast screamed as it ripped into him, separating his essence from his hapless host.

Ganondorf plunged his sword into the ground and smiled. Frank nodded and threw him a rectangular object. It was the box that Ganondorf's amulet had come in. Ganondorf opened it and raised his free hand.

"As we agreed! Into the box you go!"

Majora's essence tried to fight the pull, but it was no use. Without a body it was like trying to hold the wind in your hands. Ganondorf's power drew him into it and held him there as the lid closed shut. He then ripped off his amulet and rammed it onto the front of the box, welding it there. It had become the lock to Majora's prison.

But Ganondorf wasn't through yet. He walked a ways until he found a rock large enough to be of use. He placed his hand on it, melting its center. Ganondorf thrust the box into the lava like liquid, becoming buried as the molten rock cooled over it.

By the time Ganondorf had limped back to the others, Frank was already ministering them. He looked up at Ganondorf with a relieved smile.

"They're hurt, but alive. I think they'll make it."

Ganondorf nodded and slung Brock over his shoulder; on his other he placed the old man. Frank picked up crow and held her gently. With all their companions in tow, they headed back on the path to the village.

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To all those who figured out it was Majora, good job. I thought I made it vague enough, but I guess I didn't. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Sorry again that it was so late. I don't know when the next one will be, but it will be quicker then this one, hopefully. Sayonara!


	23. Forced Vacation

Author's Note: Ughh, School's hammering on me. Getting back into it after so much time off is rough. I'm sure all of you are facing similar problems, so I won't bore you with mine. Here's the next one, I hope you enjoy it. As always, I don't own Zelda.

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"Two broken ribs, a second degree burn, multiple contusions and lord knows how many bruises. You youngsters must have really had a fun time."

Ganondorf grimaced at Ragnens bad attempt at humor. He refrained from sarcasm though, seeing as the old man was the one treating him and his other wounded friends. Ganondorf was quickly gaining respect for the gentleman. Without him, he would have been dead months ago. He was sitting upright in the same bed he had laid in the last time he was wounded. His armour lay off to the side.

'I'm visiting this room much too often.' He thought bitterly.

"As bad as you are though, you are better off than the other one. His body is a mass of bruises and both his arms were battered close to breaking. As it is, they're cracked in multiple places. There is also the considerable of internal damage. He's lucky to even be alive. Even more amazing is how fast he's healing. Remarkable really. Crow is healing almost as fast. She suffered a concussion and a broken wing."

"And the old man we brought in?"

"He's still asleep, even after the couple of days it took for you to bring him here."

Ganondorf nodded and leaned back into the bed.

"So how long are we grounded?"

"At the rate you all are recovering, about two weeks, perhaps a little more."

Ganondorf groaned. This was going to serious setback. In two weeks they might have been able to defeat another general. Now they were going to have to waste time healing.

"It could have been worse. You could have all died. After today, you can get out of bed and walk around, but I don't want you straining yourself. Rest is the best thing for you right now."

Ganondorf nodded again and rested his head on his pillow. If he was going to be staying in town a while, he may as well be comfortable. He closed his eyes and edged into the bed a bit to get into a better position.

"I'll leave you alone then. Your friend may stop by later."

"He's right outside the door. I figure he'll come in when you step out." Ganondorf said with his eyes still closed.

Ragnen smiled and opened the door.

"Why so he is. I'll just let you two talk in private then." He said before stepping out. Frank walked in, greeted Ragnen as he was leaving, and sat down on one of the chairs in the room.

"Hello Ganondorf."

"Hi."

Frank shifted a bit in his chair before continuing. "I heard Brock and Crow are all right. That's good news. I am a little worried about the old man though. He should have awakened by now."

"When one has been possessed for as long as he has, and goddess knows how long that's been, then it would take some time to recover. After all, he hasn't been himself for a while now."

"I suppose that makes sense. Though something has been bugging me. How did Majora get here anyway? Isn't he from another dimension, or something along those lines?"

"He got here the same way you got his information."

"And that means?" Frank asked, urging him on.

"The walls between dimensions are rarely solid. Myths and legends can pass the barriers through the cracks that riddle them. When Majora was defeated and his body destroyed, his essence must have escaped through those cracks. He was originally encased in a mask, but it seems he preferred an ethereal freedom to returning to that prison. Ironic really. He escaped from one, and then I put him in another."

"You hardly did it alone. But if he was free, why was he possessing people?"

"I did most of the work, and he was most likely gathering power so he could create a new body for himself. There is a lot of power in a human life. He must have been gathering them inside himself. This would burn out the host rather quickly though, so the freak would have to keep jumping to a new host."

"You seem to have all the answers."

"All I have is speculation. I don't know how that maniac thinks."

Frank got out of the chair and stretched a bit.

"Well, it was nice talking to you. I'll leave you to your rest now."

Ganondorf didn't respond as Frank walked out. He nudged into the pillows a bit more and slept a deep, dreamless sleep.

- - - - - - - - -

Ganondorf awoke with the dawn. He felt much better now that he had actually gotten a chance to sleep in a bed. They had been sleeping on leaves and dirt for most of their travels, which was fine, but a bed was a nice luxury every now and then.

His ribs ached when he stretched, no surprise seeing as two of them were broken. He wouldn't be able to put on the chest part of his armour because of this. That little thought changed his comfortable mood into his usual sour one. Leaving himself unprotected was not a pleasant idea.

Before he could brood on this longer, there was a soft tap on the door.

"Can I come in?" A soft voice asked. It was barely audible through the thick wood of the door. Ganondorf smiled upon hearing it. He knew who it was.

"Of course May."

May pushed the door open and ran toward Ganondorf, plumping down on his bed. She looked tired, as if she hadn't slept for hours. Ganondorf frowned. It wasn't healthy for one so young to be this tired.

"May, are you alright?"

May smiled. "I'm fine, I just wasn't able to sleep so well last night."

"Why was that?"

"I was worried about you and the others."

Ganondorf felt that warm feeling again, the thing he couldn't quite place a name to. It was as if he had felt it long ago, but had lost it. He smiled again. It was impossible not to smile when he felt this feeling.

"Then why don't you rest? I'll watch over you this time." He said as he placed a gentle hand on her head. She closed her eyes and snuggled next to him.

"That would be nice." She said softly. Soon, she was fast asleep. Ganondorf stared down at her as she slept.

"What is it you do to me that makes me feel like this?" He whispered. "It doesn't make sense."

Ganondorf left his question unanswered. He would have plenty of time to think on it later. For now, he would just enjoy the moment.

- - - - - - - - - -

When May awoke a few hours later, she was feeling much better. The energetic young girl was soon bouncing away like she normally did. She was doing exactly that now, skipping as she and Ganondorf went for a walk.

They weren't very far from the village. May had wanted to go to one of the few flower patches nearby so she could make get well flower crowns for the group. Ganondorf had come along to keep an eye on her. After all, who knew what could happen outside the relative safety of the village?

"We meet again foul one!"

Apparently running into idiots was one of things that could happen. Ganondorf groaned, he remembered to whom this voice belonged.

"It's the Band of Stooges." He said as he turned. Indeed, Dorian and his comrades were there.

"How dare you! I demand that you call us by our proper title! We are… The Vigilante's of Virtue!"

Dorian seemed to pose for a bit as he said this. The wind made his long, blonde hair flutter behind him, dramatizing his affected stance. Ganondorf just gawked at him, before he burst out laughing. Dorian fumed.

"What is so funny?"

"I don't know where to start." Ganondorf said as he clutched his sides. He was trying to stifle his laughter in deference to his tender ribs.

"They have a funny name." May commented. Ganondorf had to try harder to keep from laughing again. As it was, his body was shaking uncontrollably.

"It's the corrupted child! We must save her before she is forever beyond the light!"

Dorian's comrades nodded in agreement. As they did so, Ganondorf's mirth vanished. His face took on a frightening countenance. The last time Dorian had tried to "save May", he had attempted to kill her.

"May," Ganondorf said with a softness that came so unnaturally to him, "I see a flower patch over there that has a shade of blue that I'm sure Frank would enjoy. Could you fetch some for me?"

"Sure." She said with a smile. She rushed off to the flower patch in a jog. Ganondorf smiled slightly after her, before turning to an irritated Dorian and company. His smile chained into a malicious grin.

"Time for stress relief."

By the time May had returned, the four men in white were gone. She blinked in a confused manner.

"Where'd the strange people go?"

"Oh, they had to fly off in a hurry. Don't worry about them. Let's continue, we have the day all to ourselves."

"All right." May said with a smile. Ganondorf nodded in response. This day hadn't been so bad after all.

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Looks like the groups grounded for a bit. I hope you enjoyed it. Sayonara!


	24. A Close Shave

Authors Note: Hey, how ya'll doing? My finals are done and I'm on spring break. Yay me! Here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it. I do not own Zelda.

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A "Close Shave"

Ganondorf was annoyed. He scowled into the mirror, fingering the fuzz that was growing on his chin. A few centimeters of hair had grown in during his few months in this world. He just never had the time to shave it. He would have to rectify that.

He dipped his hands into the water basin and wetted his face. Then he lathered it up with the soap and proceeded to cut the irritable hairs off with a nearby knife.

Ganondorf hadn't shaved in over one hundred years, seeing as the void had stopped his body from growing like that. Even outside that hellish realm, the Triforce seemed to slow down things like hair and nail growth.

It wasn't just the beard that annoyed him, though it was damnably itchy. He was annoyed with the lost time. He held no illusions that a large part of his success, and that of the group's, had been the element of surprise. He knew that after the second kill, he would have a harder time keeping them off guard, but he hadn't counted on something like the Majora incident.

The ten days that they had rested in this village was ten days that gave the remaining generals more time to prepare. Even if that was ten days spent watching over May, Ganondorf still cringed at all that time lost. Not only that, but Frank was complaining even more that the old man hadn't woken up yet. Ganondorf respected the man's intelligence, but he was so very irritating sometimes.

The only piece of good news that he had today was that Brock could finally move with relative ease again. His body had recovered from its beating quite nicely. He would be good to go in a few days. Crow had also recovered; her broken wing was now only a little sore.

"So there's good and bad today." Ganondorf said to himself as he placed the knife down. He looked at himself in the mirror, smiling a little at his now clean-shaven face.

Now that he was done with that little distraction, he proceeded to put his shirt on and walk out the door. Frank was sitting down in the living room reading a book while Brock was stretching a bit, trying to get his body back into relative comfort after lying in bed for so long. Crow was perched on Frank's shoulder, reading his book as Frank turned the pages.

"Do try not to injure yourself again, Brock." Ganondorf said dryly. Frank looked up from his book.

"You should take your own advice. After all, your ribs are still sore, right?"

Ganondorf didn't comment. It was true, but he wasn't going to say it out loud. He wasn't going to indulge that smug, knowing look Frank sent his way. He opened the front door.

"And where are you going?" Crow squawked.

"To the bar."

Frank closed his book. "That sounds like a wonderful idea. I could use some refreshment."

"Yeah, all I've been able to drink the last few days is water and porridge. A real meal would be awesome." Brock said enthusiastically. Ganondorf sighed; he should have seen this coming.

They headed over to the tavern for food and relaxation. The villagers greeted them as they passed, waving and smiling as they walked by. Most of the companions responded, but Ganondorf just kept his stone-faced as he walked along. He was still having a bit of trouble adapting to the idea of being liked by so many people.

"You could lighten up a bit." Crow squawked. "It's not like smiling would kill you."

Ganondorf just scowled at her as the approached the tavern. They were about to walk in the door when a loud voice shouted to them,

"Aha! I have found you!"

"That voice." Brock muttered.

The group turned around and saw Brock's rival, Lee-Tuce, pointing at them accusingly.

"Foul dog! How did you find this place!" Brock exclaimed.

Lee-Tuce smiled. "Ah, Brock-Lee, so clueless. This is why I have always been better then you. I found four men who knew of your whereabouts in a crater up north. Their directions led me here."

"Knew I should have thrown them farther." Ganondorf muttered.

"What was that?" Frank asked.

"Nothing."

"Now that I am here, I will finally get my hands on your bounty, large-nosed man!"

Ganondorf's fist twitched in anger, but Brock responded before he could do anything.

"You despicable man! Why do you do this! You should be with me against Finis, not working as his mercenary! His lackeys killed our master, why…"

"Our master was a fool!" Lee-Tuce interrupted. "He should have joined with Finis, he might have lived longer!"

Brock stayed silent, but Ganondorf could tell he was fuming inside.

'So Brock has another reason for killing Finis.' Ganondorf mused in his mind. 'I'll have to ask him about that later.'

"Excuse me," said a voice behind Lee-Tuce. "But did you say you were going to kill Ganondorf and the big strange one?"

"Yes." Lee-Tuce responded without looking back. "Now go away before I add you into the beating."

"I don't think you want to do that."

"And why wouldn't I want t…" Lee-Tuce's yell died as he turned around. Practically the whole village stood there with some kind of weapon, whether it be a stick or a gardening tool or a mining utensil.

"This is gonna be good." Ganondorf said with a smile. Frank sighed.

"Always with the violence. Still, I guess he had it coming."

The large crowd descended on Lee-Tuce, giving him no time to react as they beat on him mercilessly. Ganondorf went into the tavern and pulled out some chairs and a few drinks.

"Cheers," he said as he watched. This was making his day all better.

"Oh dear lord! Arms don't bend that way! Arghhh!"

"Say," Crow said before dipping his beak into her drink, "Isn't he just about as strong as you? Why's he losing so badly?"

"Just because one is strong, it doesn't help if you are overpowered by numbers." Brock said solemnly before taking a deep swallow of his own drink. Crow blinked at him.

"That's one of the most intelligent things I have ever heard you say."

"Really? If you think that, then you'll love this. I have figured out what to name this technique the villagers are using. It will be called 'The Masses Bash The Idiot' technique!"

Crow sighed. "You're back to normal."

"Even the kids have rocks now! Owwww! My eye!"

"He screams rather loud." Frank commented to Ganondorf.

"Doesn't he though?" Ganondorf said with a smirk.

The villagers eventually pulled away, revealing a half-dead and very badly beaten Lee-Tuce. Ganondorf walked over and kneeled down near the man. "You ready to give up?"

Lee-Tuce simply gurgled in response.

"I'll take that as a yes," he said as he picked the man up and threw him into the air. He was out of sight soon after that.

"You sure that won't kill him?" Frank asked.

"I threw him toward the desert, so he should land relatively softly."

"Relatively?"

"Hey, he's going to be falling pretty fast." Ganondorf said before finishing his drink.

"Now, how are you guys feeling?"

"I'll be good as new in a few days." Brock said.

"Likewise." Crow added.

"I have been fine for a while now." Frank put in.

"Good. We leave in four days."

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Well, I had fun writing that. Mainly because I like bashing on the minor villains, they're just so easy to pick on. I have been feeling good and in the writing mood recently, so we may be seeing another one of these soon, and maybe a long overdue update to the Finis chapters. Considering my laziness, and the fact that Kingdom Hearts 2 is coming out in a few days, that may not be the case. Still, out of respect for you all, I will try. Sayonara!


	25. Reflections

Authors Note: It's been a while. SAT prep knocked me out for two weeks, and then it was Kingdom Hearts 2 before that. I have been distracted. Glad my muse woke up and got me to writing this. I really looked forward to writing it. I don't own Zelda.

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Reflections

Ganondorf strapped his sword to his side and adjusted his armour. He had been awaiting this time anxiously, or at least as anxiously as he allowed himself to be. The others were packed and ready to go.

Ganondorf walked out of his room and into the commons area of Ragnens house. The others were there, waiting for him.

"You took long enough." Crow squawked. Ganondorf scowled at her. It passed quickly though, replaced soon with his regular stony expression. Frank eased the pack on his shoulders to make himself more comfortable.

"Everything is ready. We can head out anytime."

"Then let us go now!" Brock exclaimed. "All this waiting around has gotten me stiff. It'll be good to get back on the quest."

"For once, I agree with you." Ganondorf replied. "Let's go."

They walked out of the house and were greeted by a small form. May stood there, waiting for them. Ganondorf approached her and knelt down.

"We'll be back soon, okay?" He said softly. She nodded and sniffed a little, not wanting him to leave. He kept coming back hurt whenever he left, but she knew he had to go. She gave him a quick hug before running off into the hustle and bustle that made up the village. Ganondorf blinked quickly in surprise as she ran off.

His companions barely hid their amusement. Brock held a hand over his mouth at Ganondorf's astonishment and awkwardness. Frank simply smiled. Crow rippled in silent laughter.

Ganondorf fumed. "These three take every opportunity to mock me." He muttered.

He pretended to ignore it, as he had all those other times. As much as he disliked DIN, he knew that she was trying to aid him in this venture. She had said these three would help him, so he tolerated them. At least, that was how it had been in the beginning. After a few months of being with them, he was not quite so sure anymore. He found himself feeling less annoyance at their presence, less anger at their antics. Yet another strange feeling he had forgotten in his many years of living, the one he felt when he traveled with them. He felt… camaraderie, if only a little, when he journeyed with them. Yes, that was the feeling.

They were almost at the edge of the village when someone called to them. They turned to see the old man who had been possessed run up in a sweat. He stopped a few feet from them, trying to catch his breath.

Ganondorf marveled at the man, wondering how he was even able to move after all he'd been through.

"I thought I wouldn't be able to catch up with you." He said in a wizened deep voice. "You left so suddenly, and I awoke so late." He said in-between gasps.

"What is it you wish old man?" Ganondorf asked abruptly.

Frank nudged him slightly in the ribs for his rudeness, Ganondorf paid him no mind. He was ready to go and tired of delays and distractions.

"To the point I see." The old man said with a smile. He straightened himself with a little effort before continuing. "I don't know rightly what happened to me, and I'm not sure I want to. What I do know is that you three saved me from it."

"Four." Crow rasped with a little indignation. The old man blinked.

"My apologies miss, that you four saved me. I just wanted to say this before you left. Thank you. It feels like I have been awakened from a dream, but that the dream was really a nightmare that never ended. Thank you for ending it."

The old man bowed low. Ganondorf's eyebrows rose, but besides that his expression remained neutral.

"Think nothing of it." Frank said. "Don't you think you should be back in bed, or perhaps eating something? You must be very weak."

"Yes, I think I will go do that. Thank you, young lads. I'll never forget it." He said before turning back.

"So, how does it feel to get a thank you again, tyrant?" Crow asked.

"It means nothing. He can do as he wishes now." Ganondorf said tersely. It was hard to tell, but it looked a little like Crow was grinning. With her beaked mouth though, you could never be sure. Ganondorf turned in a huff. He didn't want to waste anymore of the morning light. It was a long journey to the lakes.

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Many days later the group was huddled around a campfire. Actually, a better description would be that Brock and Crow were asleep near the fire. Ganondorf and Frank stayed awake watching it. The moon was a sliver in the night sky, bringing very little light to the land, so their fire was all they had to fend off the night's darkness.

"May I ask a question of you, Ganondorf?" Frank asked, breaking the silence.

"Depends on the question."

Frank grinned. "That's such a typical answer from you. What I wanted to ask was why Crow keeps calling you tyrant. You may be kind of cold, but you have never given me the impression of a tyrant."

Ganondorf mused to himself a bit before answering. "The simple answer is that I once was one. I'm not sure how she did it, but she saw a glimmer of my past deeds."

"And were they really that terrible?"

"Heh, maybe to you and the rest of the world."

"Would you tell me exactly what you did? I will not judge you, if that is what you are afraid of."

Frank had been searching for more information on him for a while; not surprising since Ganondorf obviously didn't act like much of a native in this strange land. He had been careful to hide his origins, but had it really just been just for convenience? Could he be afraid that they would judge him? He squashed this thought swiftly. No, he was not afraid. He was not afraid of something as small as this.

With that thought in mind, Ganondorf told him of his taking of the Triforce of Power and his invasion into Hyrule. He told of his seven year reign, and finally of Link defeating him in combat. He told of his retaliation by using the Triforce, how it changed him into Ganon, a form that was evil incarnate. Then of his banishment for one hundred years. Finally, he told how DIN came to him with an offer. He let it end at that. No need to go into too many details about the offer. He was still angry that he had been tricked into it so easily.

Frank was silent after he told him his tale. Ganondorf knew that look. The man was thinking deeply, trying to puzzle out something. He didn't see why. His tale had been straightforward enough. Maybe instead he was forming a plan to get away from this man he now knew to be a murderer and a former despot. It wouldn't surprise him.

"Why did you go after the Triforce?" Frank asked suddenly. Ganondorf blinked in surprise. He had expected Frank to berate him, to call him wicked and evil. Instead, he asked a simple question.

Ganondorf did not remain surprised for long. He answered swiftly. "I did so to gain power. Power to conquer Hyrule and dominate them all."

"But why? Why did you feel the need to do this and conquer Hyrule? What was its purpose?"

Ganondorf opened his mouth to respond, but the words died in his throat. He didn't know. He truly did not know the answer. It was as if he knew once, but it was fuzzy. Most everything before his taking of the Triforce of Power was muddled in the back of his mind. The hundred years seemed to have faded his reason. No, it was something more then that. It was the years and something else. Ganondorf fought past the mist in his head, focusing on that point in time, and found his answer.

"It was for my people."

"Hmm?" Frank asked. Ganondorf seemed to have reached an epiphany, and he wanted to know what it was.

"I was a king. I was king of a tribe of desert people. They were all female, with only one male born every hundred years. That male becomes the king. I was raised away from them all, groomed to be king. All I saw though was the desert hole in which we lived. Why did we have to live there, while the Hylians lived in a paradise!"

Ganondorf had shouted more than asked this question. He was in the fever of his own memories, regaining something he had lost. Frank was certain the man didn't even know he was there anymore. Brock rolled over but did not wake up. Ganondorf continued.

"The wind in my land brought nothing but death, left nothing but hardship. But the wind in Hyrule brought comfort and life. I coveted that wind, I suppose. Coveted it for myself and for my people. There had been a war some twenty years before I came into full power as king. It was a unification war, settling old disputes and stopping the recurring cycle of battles in Hyrule's clans. All the races were at peace after it, thanks to the Hylian king. I suppose that is why my people were opposed to my idea. They did not want another war, it was still fresh in so many minds."

Ganondorf's face took on a look of anger. "Why! Why couldn't they see I just wanted what was best for them? I was furious that they were content to live in that hellhole! So I made my plan, I tricked them all, and got this." Ganondorf lifted his right hand for emphasis before continuing. "I resurrected all the Hylians who had died in the war as Stalfos and controlled other monsters. I swept over Hyrule so suddenly and so completely that they had no time to react. I think I… lost myself during this time. Sometime after I got the Triforce, I began to act differently. I was crueler than my nature, became angry so easily. It was like everything I had suppressed just sprang forth. I can't believe I never even realized it. My own people hated me after that."

"Power can corrupt, and we know you are powerful. Don't ask me for forgiveness. It's not mine to give."

"I didn't ask for your forgiveness." Ganondorf threw a log onto the fire.

They watched the flames rise up, and then Frank said mildly, "True, but forgiveness is what you seek."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You will learn in time." Frank smiled.

"Feh. I hate all this mumbo jumbo." Ganondorf said with a scowl.

"Look," Frank said softly, "You have been dead a long time… your feelings anyway. But all that time didn't really do away with your feelings, just hid them. You lost your way… You have regrets…"

"I do not." Ganondorf stiffened.

"Then why are you so protective of May?" Frank asked mildly.

"She's a child. Somebody has to protect her." Ganondorf felt the rising tide of anger. How could this man be so dense?

"Like you wanted to protect your people?"

Ganondorf stopped cold. 'Is that the feeling?" he thought. 'Is that why I am drawn to the child?'

"Don't push it." Frank said kindly, "It will come to you. This is the door DIN has opened for you."

"Hnn. I thought you didn't believe in goddesses." Ganondorf jibed softly.

"I don't, but she is a powerful benefactor for you nevertheless."

Ganondorf smiled at the man. It lasted only a brief moment, but he smiled genuinely. They spent the rest of the night in silence before dropping off to sleep.

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"You know Brock," Ganondorf began as he cut off the head off an Orc with his sword, "You really should consider getting some kind of weapon."

Brock-Lee, self proclaimed ultimate master of the martial arts, laughed mockingly at this as he cracked the skull of a Bear Man with a roundhouse kick. "What makes you say that?"

"Just recalling the sand creatures and the Majora fight. If you're going to get beaten so badly so often by just using your fists, then you should really get something to distance yourself."

"Hah! Like I need a weapon." Even though he said this, Brock's face took on a pondering expression as he elbowed a Gornoid in the face. The group had met some resistance on the way to the lakes, where the next General awaited. Even avoiding cities and towns in the area had not kept their presence hidden.

"He has a point Brock." Frank commented as his rapier stabbed an Orc in the throat. He pivoted swiftly and slashed another attacker in the stomach with his curved short sword. The man choked on his blood before falling over. Frank's expression was sad. He would have rather avoided fighting. Still, he wasn't just going to stand there and get killed.

"Hate to say it, but I agree with the tyrant there." Crow added as she blew some of their attackers away with a flap of her wings. They impacted with some of the trees in the area with a sickening thud. They wouldn't be getting up again.

"I'll think about it." Brock said as he dispatched the last of their assailants with a swift jab to the throat. The man wheezed and gasped for air that didn't seem to be entering his lungs. He fell over, clawing at his throat.

"I'm glad that's over with." Frank said as he cleaned his blades.

"Heh. They won't be the last of them." Ganondorf said as he did the same with his weapon. They were close to the lakes now. The General had to be close by if this many foes had been waiting here for them.

They continued on until they were clear of the sparse forest in this region. It had been thinning out for a while, opening up to wetter ground and a few marshes. Soon, they came upon a massive chain of lakes, stretching out as far as the eye could see. In the noonday sunlight it was quite a magnificent sight to behold. The group did not have long to enjoy it, however. What appeared to be a tendril of hard water lurched from the lake and attacked them. They scattered, avoiding the strike. Immediately their attention was turned to a person walking on the water towards them. She was tall, with long curly brown hair going down to her waist. Her clothes were tight fitting, presenting rather then hiding the curves of her body. Her pale face was smooth and proportioned. In short, she was gorgeous. Her brown eyes, however, seemed to have something of a lifeless look to them. At least, that is what Ganondorf thought. He couldn't tell at this distance.

"Wow, she's hot." Brock commented.

Frank gasped as he realized who she was. "That's my sister."

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Cliffhanger. Pretty evil of me, isn't it? Gonna put some real effort into a Finis chapter by the end of this week. Left that alone for to long. Sayonara!


	26. General Four: Sarah

Authors Note: Well, summer is here. Awesome isn't it? Been a while since I updated, so now's a good time. Needed to get all the kinks out of this thing, probably missed a few though. Hope you all enjoy it. As always, I don't own Zelda.

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General Four: Sarah

"Your sister?" Ganondorf inquired. It certainly made this an interesting development.

Frank nodded. "Yes, that is definitely Sarah. What's she doing here?"

Ganondorf smirked. "Guess she turned traitor. Well, I know how to deal with traitors."

Ganondorf drew his sword and charged forward. This girl stood in his way, and he meant to cut her down. Frank would be better off without a traitor in his family anyway.

"Ganondorf, wait!" Frank called, but Ganondorf was too far and too wrapped up in his charge to hear him. Using a little bit of air magic, the Gerudo ran along the water toward the woman. As he was about to land his blow, a blade of water sprang and intercepted his sword.

"Pitiful mortal. How dare you strike at a goddess." She muttered melodiously before the blade of water grew huge and pushed him. The force of it was incredible, cracking Ganondorf's sword and sending him flying backwards. Ganondorf barely managed to land upright. He looked down briefly as his sword repaired itself before turning his attention back to the woman.

'Goddess?' Ganondorf mused in his mind. 'What's up with that?'

"Die, foolish man!"

Ganondorf sped back as the water tried to grab him. It continued to do so until he reached solid ground again. He growled in frustration. This girl was strong.

"You can't just fight her in her element. My sister is a master of water magic."

"I gathered that." Ganondorf muttered.

"You cannot fight a goddess anywhere. Man cannot kill their creators." Sarah continued forward. Although she was still a good distance away, her voice reached them. It was as if it had bounced along the water towards them.

"Hey, what's the deal with the god complex?" Crow rasped. No one had any chance to answer. Huge balls of water launched at them, creating an explosion of moisture when they hit the ground. Luckily, everyone had managed to get out of the way in time.

"I don't know," Frank said when the attack stopped. "She's not acting like herself."

He ran to the water's edge and called out to her. "Sarah, what are you doing? It's me, your brother!"

"A deity has no need for brothers."

Ganondorf was just barely able to pull Frank out of the way from the knives of ice that had threatened to impale him. He was growing increasingly annoyed with how this fight was going.

"And why would a goddess serve a mortal? Why do you serve Finis!"

"He is my master. A greater god then I. You shall pay for calling him a mere man!"

"She's not making a lot of sense." Brock whispered.

Ganondorf rolled his eyes. "Really? I hadn't guessed."

Sarah stopped walking a good thirty feet from the shore. The water roiled and churned before finally rising up and taking shape. An enormous serpent of liquid stared down at the group, eyeing them with ill will. It struck suddenly, only to explode before it reached them.

Ganondorf lowered his hand and looked at Frank.

"Brain washing?"

Frank nodded. "Brain washing."

"How can you be so sure?" Crow flapped away another wave of water.

"I have done something similar." Ganondorf responded.

"I recognize the signs," said Frank.

"So what do we do?"

"You guys distract her while Frank and I take care of it." Ganondorf pulled Frank back into the wooded region a good distance, sheathing his sword as he did so. Sarah, preoccupied with Crow's bursts of wind, didn't see them as they slinked off.

"What exactly are you planning?" asked Frank. Ganondorf grinned.

"We're gonna fix it."

There was a brief flash of energy as Ganondorf slammed a palm onto his forehead and Frank's. They collapsed in a heap.

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Frank shook his head to clear it before surveying his surroundings. They weren't in the forest, nor did it appear they were in Kyteria. The landscape was amorphous, shifting shape every second or so to strange landscapes.

"Where did you take us?"

"Heh, we're in your sisters head."

Frank stared at Ganondorf. He didn't look the same. He was wearing golden armour and a crown topped his head. His cape was a deep crimson instead of its usual white with strange markings. His sword was different also, becoming broader near the tip. It was a strange looking weapon. He looked like a king. Frank placed this in the back of his mind while he asked a more important question than his friends clothing.

"We're what?"

"You heard me. I'm actually surprised this worked. There's such a miniscule margin for error. We got lucky."

"You could have warned me." Frank muttered.

"And how would you have reacted if I had said I was going to place our consciousnesses inside your sister's?"

"Adversely."

"I thought so."

"So what do we do now?"

"We can do one of two things. We could find what is controlling her and destroy it, or I can start taking pot shots until her brain shuts down."

"I'm all for the first option." Frank said quickly.

"I figured you would be."

"On a different note, why are you dressed like that?"

"What, this? Our forms are simply manifestations of how we see ourselves. You don't look much different then you do in reality."

"And yours says much about you also."

"Whatever. Let's just get this chore over with."

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Brock was not having a good day. Once again he was facing an enemy that his fists alone could not defeat. He could not run on the water like Ganondorf, so if he wanted to attack he would have only one shot. He could leap at her from the shore. If he missed though, he would be in the water and at her mercy.

All he could really do was jump around and avoid getting hit. He couldn't even deflect the attacks, because then she would snag him and be pulled in. Brock was not a fool when it came to combat. He knew when he could win and when he couldn't. Right now, all he could do was survive.

His situation reminded him of Ganondorf's comment about having a weapon. If he had one now, it might have increased his possibilities and maybe given him a possible counter attack. He would have to consider it when this battle was over.

Crow, on the other hand, looked like she was having fun. Whatever attacks Sarah sent her way were blown back by the eagle's control over the wind. She cackled as she sent spears of ice back towards the controlled human.

"This is great! She's almost as easy as Kaze was."

"I'm glad you're having fun!" Brock grated as he dodged a tendril of water.

"What, and you aren't?"

"I can't even attack! Where's the fun in this?"

"Heh, looks like someone's grumpy." Crow sent a ball of hard air at Sarah. The water mage made a wall of her own element to block the attack, sending droplets everywhere. The droplets hung in the air before turning into needles of ice. Sarah laughed as she sent the needles towards the two. They had to move every which way to avoid getting hit. If Crow dispersed them, then they would simply reform and attack again.

"Okay, this isn't fun anymore!" Crow squawked.

"It wasn't fun to begin with!"

Brock's face was tense with the effort he was expending. Crow's had also taken on a visage of intense concentration. Whatever Ganondorf had planned, he had better finish it soon.

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"So why is this place so empty?" Ganondorf asked as they walked down a stretch of Sarah's mind.

"I think it might have something to do with the brainwashing. It's probably suppressing her normal mind to replace it with the façade personality that she currently has."

"That would make sense."

Eventually, they came upon what they were looking for. A ball of swirling colors and flashing images was chained up and had several locks. It was a nasty looking affair.

"Well, we just need to break the chains and we're home free."

Ganondorf stepped forward and was stopped by a wall of force. It shot him back several feet and he landed hard on his back.

"It's never that easy." Frank said as he helped the Gerudo to his feet. Ganondorf scowled at the transparent wall that chose at this point to reveal itself. Still, he could find a way around this.

"I have an idea."

"Oh good," Frank said as he clapped his hands together, "you're actually going to tell it to me beforehand this time."

Ganondorf shot him a pointed look before continuing. "I'll use my power to make a hole in the wall. I'll have to put all my concentration into that, so I won't be able to break the chains. You'll have to cut them apart."

"That sounds like a good plan."

"Of course, I made it."

Frank just rolled his eyes and got into position. Ganondorf placed his hand on the wall gently. It began to glow, and then the wall seemed to shatter. Frank jumped through the hole before it was able to close over and cut at the locks securing the chains. They came apart quickly. With the locks cut off, the chains simply fell to the floor and disappeared. The resulting explosion forced Ganondorf and Frank out of Sarah's head.

Frank awoke clutching his skull. Ganondorf wasn't much better.

"Whoa, that was unexpected."

"So you didn't know that would happen?"

"Nope. I was winging it the whole time."

"That makes me feel so good."

They stepped out of the forest and back towards the lake. Brock and Crow looked all right, if a little bloody from some cuts. Sarah was clutching her head over the water. She was convulsing as if in a fit.

"Sarah!"

Frank swam out to her. She stopped convulsing and smiled at him. She grabbed his arm and lifted him out of the water. Soon he was standing next to her atop it. She hugged him firmly.

"Oh Frank. I'm so sorry." She whispered. Frank hugged her back.

"It's okay now, Sarah. You're free."

Ganondorf just smiled at the sibling reunion. This was a much better ending to a fight with a General. Indeed, a much better ending.

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Well, that's a happy ending. It's strangely refreshing to end this without the usual death and destruction that usually accompanies these four when they fight. A few flaws in my earlier chapters were brought to my attention, and a few have been dealt with. I need to edit some of my earlier chapters. These guys have a little further to go. One more General, and then its Finis's turn. Thanks for sticking with me so far, I really appreciate it guys.


	27. Guilt and Retribution

Author's Note: Yeah, it's been a while. This was a busy summer for me. Well, sorry about the delay with this. I'll get to work right away with the next one, but you never know with me. I don't own Zelda, please read and enjoy.

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Guilt and Retribution

The reunion of Frank and Sarah, as touching as it was, was sadly short-lived. The strange group of adventurers couldn't stay long, seeing as they were still in hostile territory. They did, however, stay long enough to hear what exactly had happened to Frank's younger sibling.

"I was searching around the mountains for ingredients in a potion I was making, when something struck me from behind. The next thing I knew, I couldn't control my voice or my body. I could see everything, but influence nothing. It was torture."

Ganondorf nodded slightly, he knew full well how that felt. No one noticed though. They were too busy listening to Sarah.

"I have done horrible things these past few years. So much pain I have caused." She whispered. She was shuddering slightly, tears falling from her cheeks. Frank embraced her gain.

"It's okay." He said softly. "It's okay. It wasn't your fault."

"I should have been stronger." She whimpered softly.

He stroked the back of her head in an attempt to sooth her, trying his best to make her pain stop. He didn't know how he could do it though. How could one fix something like this? Logic would dictate that she was not to blame, and that might work with convincing other people, but what of Sarah herself? It was her hands that had hurt and enslaved people. How could logic possibly fix that?

"How can I make this better?" She whispered, her shaking voice muffled by Frank's arms.

"You don't have time to feel sorry for yourself." Ganondorf said finally. He was tired of seeing this. "You're free now, so you need to make a decision. What are you going to do? Getting all weepy isn't going to help anything. You need to take action."

Frank's face went through several layers of shock through out Ganondorf's statement before finally settling on something close to anger. He let go of Sarah and turned briskly towards the Gerudo.

"Ganondorf! That's too harsh!" He exclaimed. "How can you expect her to get over the trauma so quickly?"

Sarah moved away from her older brother and wiped away her tears. She stared at Ganondorf for a moment, analyzing him with a frown. She responded slowly, trying to make what she wanted to say heard.

"You're right, I don't have time to feel sorry now. Maybe later… I can reflect on it all, but for now I'm going to start trying to fix it. I'll start with leading the army situated here away from the people. They still think I'm Finis's puppet after all."

"Are you sure you'll be all right?" Crow rasped.

"Not really, but I'll try to cope. It's all I can do."

She looked Ganondorf directly in the eye and smiled.

"It's my decision after all."

"Do whatever. It's your life." He said before turning around. They needed to leave before they attracted more enemy attention.

Frank hugged his sister one last time.

"I want you to come with us." He whispered.

Sarah smiled. "That's very sweet, but I must make amends here. We will meet again at the final battle."

Frank's heart wrenched as he watched his sister walk away. She was still hurting, and it cut him up inside to see her suffer. He wanted to do more. He scowled at his own inadequacy. This scowl continued even as they walked through the marsh bordering the lakes. It finally broke when he spoke again.

"I still can't believe you did that."

Ganondorf smirked. "Soothing words can only do so much before one must take action. You can't stay in the cradle forever."

"Too true Triforce bearer. Still, you could have shown a bit of compassion. You know all too well the torture of being locked away." The melodic voice of DIN intruded on their thoughts.

Ganondorf turned to DIN. She smiled at him. He scowled in response to that smile.

"I'm not one to beat around the bush goddess. All that does is waste time."

"That answer is perfect for you."

Ganondorf's right hand glowed. Another fifth of the Triforce was in place. He smiled as he looked at it. One more, he just had one more to go.

"Be wary Triforce bearer. Harsh times are ahead of you."

She disappeared with a flash. Ganondorf scowled again at where she had stood.

_'Harsh times?'_ He mused in his head. _'I thought we were already in the harsh times goddess. How much more difficult can it get?'_

It took them two weeks to get back to the village. As usual, they all went their separate ways for the time they would be staying there. Frank went off to muse about the current events in private, Brock went looking for a weapon, and Crow just flew off to who knows where. Ganondorf usually went straight to May after getting back. This was usually followed by a trip to the tavern for some much needed refreshment. This time was different though. Something had been bugging Ganondorf for a while. This slight irritation had been placed into the back of his mind in light of current events, but now that everything had calmed down he could think on it again.

He recalled one of the events that had happened the last time he and his strange companions were in town. Lee-Tuce had paid a visit. The matter had solved itself with relative swiftness, but not before Brock had let slip some interesting information. Now that he had time, Ganondorf was going to learn more about it.

Brock looked around the shop. It had become painfully obvious that he was going to need some kind tool to aid his fists in battle. He grimaced as he looked around. Swords were not favorable to him. For one thing, he didn't know how to use one at all. He'd more then likely cut off his own foot then his enemy. Secondly, the swords most predominant purpose was to kill. Brock wanted to be able to choose when he killed and when he showed mercy. No, it certainly wouldn't work. The spears might be better. He had been trained to handle bo-staffs, so a spear would only require some more concentration and effort.

Ganondorf walked into the weapons shop. Brock was there, just like he had assumed he would be. The man may be dense, but it seemed he had taken Ganondorf's advice to heart. He tapped Brock on the shoulder.

"Hmm? Oh, Ganondorf. Do you need something?"

"Yeah."

Ganondorf dragged Brock off to the side before asking his question.

"No ones listening in so I'm just going to ask you straight out. Why do you want to kill Finis?"

Brock smiled that big goofy grin of his before responding. "Why, you already know the reason. He stifles all that a man can be."

"Cut the bullshit. You slipped up the last time we saw your rival."

Brock looked shocked. He didn't think Ganondorf had noticed that little mistake. Even if he had, the Gerudo seemed to ignore everything he said so he thought he would be all right. Unfortunately for Brock, Ganondorf was more perceptive then he let on.

Brock chuckled nervously. "So you remember that."

"The real story please?"

Brock sighed. He really didn't want to do this. Still, he knew lying again was pointless. He firmed up his expression and began.

"My master was the grandmaster of my style. He pretty much raised me. Those were wonderful times. Lee-Tuce was a friend back then, and every day was an adventure of training." Brock's firm expression lessened with those happy memories. They had had so much fun then. The events that happened after made his face tense up again.

"Then Finis came into the country. We weren't too worried about it at the time; the school was high in the mountains and not well known. Still, he caught on to where we were. He sent one of his flunkies to our master with a proposition. Join Finis and train his armies. Master refused, and the henchman killed him and burned down the school." Brock's clenched fists were so tight his knuckles were white. Ganondorf noticed this out of the corner of his eye. He had no idea Brock harbored such rage in him. He did a superb job of hiding it.

"Lee-Tuce and I were lucky to get out alive. Some of the other students weren't so fortunate. After that, I trained on my own to defeat Finis! Sadly, the whole incident warped my friend. Lee-Tuce was so shocked by the master's death. I'm still not exactly sure what happened to him after we parted ways, but next I saw him he was how he is now, a slave to money and his crooked ideals."

Ganondorf had listened attentively. He was looking at Brock with new appreciation. The lunkhead was deeper then he had thought he was. Still, one thing was bugging him.

"Why didn't you just give us the real reason?

"I didn't want you guys to think I was just in it for revenge. It sounds like such a shallow reason, and I feared you would not let me join you if you knew."

Ganondorf laughed. "Hell, I'm in this for revenge. Finis humiliated me, even if there were extraneous circumstances for that." He had whispered that last bit under his breath.

"But what of the others?"

"Crow? She's in it for revenge. Finis enslaved her people. And Frank, even if he wouldn't admit it, after what has happened with his sister, he's in it for revenge now too. Believe me, you have nothing to worry about. The only thing I'm annoyed about is that you didn't tell us sooner. Secrets like this can harm the group."

"Yes, I should have told you. It was wrong of me not too."

Brock picked a metal spear off the rack on the wall and tested its weight in his hands. It was a good five feet long with a six-inch blade. It had two shorter blades going outward from where the blade met the spear pole. It was an impressive weapon.

"I'm ready now."

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Well, there you are. Now we get to see fun times with Brock learning how to use that thing. I don't think he'll screw up too much, maybe. Sayonara!


	28. Night into Day

Author's Note: Yeah, it's been a while. All problems are fixed, and I have still been planning and writing in this little iatus. So to make up for the long wait, you all get two chapters. Enjoy. I don't own Zelda.

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Night into Day

Two men sat quietly at the bar, nursing their drinks thoughtfully. Rather, one of them was, the other just looked annoyed. Frank had asked Ganondorf to talk with him earlier that day. They had been sitting for twenty minutes and neither had said a word, which was starting to get on Ganondorf's nerves. Just as he was about to voice his complaints though, Frank spoke.

"I would like to say that I forgive you for what you said to my sister. I had reacted only to your tone and didn't look deeply enough into the content, which in turn inspired me to act rashly. You had good intentions, no matter how you said them."

Ganondorf took a sip of his drink and processed this. What should he say in response? He was a little irked that Frank thought he needed forgiveness for his actions, but he squelched the feeling and ignored it. It was a stupid feeling, one he didn't need.

"Think whatever you want, I just put in my two coppers to the whole deal."

Frank smiled wryly and took a swig of his drink. Frank hadn't chosen this drink, Ganondorf had. Ganondorf liked strong drinks that could peel rust off pipes. Frank, unfortunately, didn't drink those kinds of drinks nearly enough to be as used to them as his Gerudo companion. He gasped and spit out the strong alcohol.

"How can you drink this stuff?" Frank's voice was hoarse from the bit that went down.

"You get used to it. Just drink more." Ganondorf took another sip for emphasis.

"I think I'll pass on that."

"Whatever."

Ganondorf finished off his drink and set the glass down. He was about to order another, perhaps with some food, when he felt a tugging at his cape. He looked down and saw May, her hand still grasping the cloth.

"Hello May. Do you need something?" He said with a smile, warmth entering his voice almost immediately. He had feared that perhaps understanding the feelings he had would make them go away, but they hadn't. He still wanted to protect this child. He figured he always would. He ignored Frank's smile because if he did so, it annoyed him less.

"Elder wants to talk to you, you and the other guys. He said it was important. I think he's a little scared" May said nervously. She looked a little frightened as well.

'_Must be because Ragnen's scared. This can't be good.'_

"All right then. We need to go find Crow."

"I don't think that will be necessary Ganondorf."

"Yeah, I'm right here. I came in with the girl."

Ganondorf turned, almost ramming his head into Crow's beak. He jumped back a little.

"Hey! Watch it!" Crow squawked in indignation.

"Then maybe you shouldn't sneak up on me." Ganondorf growled.

"Hah! It just means your senses are getting dull."

Ganondorf clenched his fist before relaxing. He would not lose his temper in front of May. He tried to make himself clam down. It was then that Frank had the good sense to change the conversation.

"Well, that just means we need to find Brock. Anyone know where he is?"

Ganondorf stole Frank's drink and took a swig of it before answering.

"Oh that's easy. He's still training with his new toy."

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He thrust his weapon suddenly, striking hard and fast. He then swung to the left side and changed the direction downwards. He tried to stop it just short of hitting the ground, which is exactly what didn't happen. One of the spear's side blades jammed into the ground hard, digging in deeply. Brock sighed and pulled it out. He was tired. He had been training with this thing for hours and he was sweating all over. His hair was matted to his face with moisture. He grumbled and slicked it back, it was getting in the way.

It wasn't that Brock lacked the strength to handle the spear. When one can punch down trees with one's bare hands, strength isn't an issue. It was the minute amounts of control he had to use to make the spear do what he wanted. He had trained with staffs and the spear was certainly similar, but the point at the end was what messed him up. The point added weight to the tip, making it slightly unbalanced. He sat down and contemplated his dilemma. Obviously he needed a lot more practice before he could use this thing at a masterful level. Still, two days training had helped.

"Perhaps an actual opponent would increase my control." He muttered. He didn't get far into this train of thought before Crow came along.

"Hey! Put up that metal stick and come over! We're having a meeting."

"All right!"

Eventually, all of the companions were gathered in Ragnen's house. The old man looked worried. His face was pinched in deep thought. His expression brightened a bit with the arrival of Ganondorf and company though.

"My friends, I am so glad you came."

"It is the least we can do elder. After all, you keep patching us up when we go and break ourselves." Frank said with a slight bow. As always, the curly haired man was the epitome of politeness.

"For what have you summoned us?" Ganondorf wanted to get straight to the point. Pleasantries were obviously not his forte.

"Yes, yes. Forgive me, I should have told you as soon as you got in. There are dark tidings."

"And they would be?"

"Some of the left over armies from the generals you have defeated seem to have banded together into one large group. According to rumor, they have become a kind of bandit tribe. This normally would not concern us much, except that they are currently camped but a few scant miles away from the village. This, obviously, raises some concern with the folk here. I was wondering if you could look into it and see if they might be a threat or not."

Ganondorf stared hard at the elder, and briefly glanced at May. Ragnen was scared, and this in turn made May scared, even though she really did not know fully what was going on.

"We'll look into it.

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"Hey, I've been wondering something. Since when have you actually been the leader of this little group?" Crow squawked from Frank's shoulder as the four of them traveled to where the bandits were located.

"Since the beginning. It's only natural after all." Ganondorf replied with a smirk.

"Hmphh! I'm sure I would be a better leader."

"And I'm sure you would get us all killed."

Crow began screeching something un intelligible and Frank winced. Ganondorf just laughed. Brock did too, though softer then the fiery haired Gerudo.

"Ganondorf, could you please refrain from antagonizing Crow for the time being?"

"Why? It's not as if it affects you any."

"Actually, it does. She's digging her claws into my shoulder."

"Oh."

From that point on, the rest of their journey was uneventful. Eventually, they could see the light of many fires. They were sure this was the band they were looking for.

All in all, it was smaller then Ganondorf expected. Maybe two hundred men, give or take twenty or so. A good sized force to be sure, but hardly the overwhelming force that all of the leftover armies would have made.

There was a tension around the camp as night began to fall. Even hidden as they were in the brush, the group of four could feel it. These men were anticipating something, and they did not like it.

When the last rays of sun faded from the sky, what they were waiting for appeared. The flaps of a tent flew open. It was the only tent in the camp, and it had been guarded by no less then twelve orcs. Out strode a tall man with pitch black hair. Streaks of silver went through his long locks, creating a strange sort of pattern. Ganondorf recognized something odd about this man, but he just couldn't place it in his mind. He must be someone very important to warrant the fear that the men had when he walked by them.

"I take it that's the leader." Brock whispered.

"It's a good guess."

"Look how scared everyone is of him. He must be keeping them through fear and not real loyalty."

"Which means if this does come to a fight, we just need to beat him and the rest should run." Frank mused to himself.

"You four should come out now. You humans are making enough noise to wake a stone." The tall man called out to Ganondorf and company. Ganondorf's eyebrows rose in surprise. He had been sure that they were quiet enough and had sufficient distance to escape detection.

The Gerudo shrugged and walked out. There was no point in hiding if they had been found out. The other followed behind him. They were easily seen, being only about thirty meters from the camp, but to have heard them from that distance was truly remarkable, and Frank said as much.

"You certainly are an impressive man to have found us so easily."

The man sneered. "I am no 'Man', foolish mortal. I am a vampire, former third in command of Myotus's forces! It was a simple task for me to hear you. Now, what business do you worms have with me?"

Ganondorf shook with barely contained fury. Noticing his companion's rising ire, Frank spoke again.

"We merely wish to know what are your intentions in this area."

"Heh. My intentions are to drain this land dry! I will rise up to my rightful place as lord of you pathetic humans, just as Myotus did before. For I, Calvaran, am superior, and thus…"

This was as far as he got before Ganondorf's fist impacted with the vampire's face. The fiend was lifted off of the ground and flew through the air, where he landed hard on bis back. He did not stay there long though. Soon enough, he rose in a rage. His eyes sparked with malice and open hate.

"How dare you! I'll…"

The vampire actually managed to get out of the way of the next punch. Ganondorf did not let up though. His knee rose to intercept the vampire's face as he ducked, causing the creature of the night to once again fall flat on his back. Calvaran was just barely able to roll away as Ganondorf's foot came down to crush where his head was but a few moments ago. He jumped back up and gathered his energies into his hands. A ball black as pitch grew within his palms, eventually stopping when it had reached the size of a baseball. He launched it at Ganondorf with a sneer, knowing for sure that this pathetic human would be pierced through by his malevolent magic.

That sneer turned into shocked surprise when Ganondorf simply batted the thing aside with a wave of his hand. It flew into the brush and through a tree before passing out of sight. Tired of this stupid game, Ganondorf rushed ahead and lifted Calvaran by his throat. The vampire hit and clawed at him, tried to burn him with his black magic, but Ganondorf's grip was like iron. He squeezed harder, and the struggles slowed and eventually ceased.

"H…how?" The vampire croaked out.

"I'm not human."

With one swift motion, Ganondorf drew his sword with his free hand and sliced off the vampire's head. The body turned to dust quickly enough, leaving no trace of the fell creature as it's essence dispersed to the winds.

"Ah, Ganondorf! You hogged all the fun!" Brock yelled from the sidelines. Ganondorf just grinned.

"You can play with the rest of them then."

The bandits lost what little spine they had left and fled. They had never really been grouped together by choice, and with their leader gone they ran from this fiery haired warrior who struck vampires down with ease.

With their job done, Ganondorf sheathed his sword and wiped some of the vampire's dust from his shoulder.

"I think I'll go have a drink."

Frank laughed as they began the walk back, though Brock and Crow didn't know what was so funny.

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Well, there you go, the first of the two I'll be giving you nice, patient readers. The next is a lot longer, and a lot better in my opinion. Sayonara!


	29. General Five: Shisou

Author's Note: I am so immensely proud of this chapter, I think it's possibly the best one I have ever written. I hope you guys enjoy it also. I don't own Zelda.

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General Five: Shisou

Ganondorf dodged the thrust of his enemy's spear, only to be hit by the butt of the tool as his foe swiftly shifted it in his hands. It struck him in the chin, knocking him to the side. Ganondorf growled and held his sword back up. He had thought this amusing at first, but now it was becoming irritating.

_'He's getting better at this.'_

Ganondorf charged in and swung to the side. His enemy simply lifted the blunt end of his weapon to redirect Ganondorf's sword upwards. The spear turned sharply then. It was the same trick as before, only now it was the sharp end coming for him. Ganondorf ducked quickly and thrust at the same time. This caught his foe off guard. He stumbled backwards to avoid Ganondorf's strike. Ganondorf's advantage did not last long. His enemy quickly regained his balance and swung his spear down like an axe. Ganondorf held his sword up and blocked the spear where the main blade met one of the shorter side blades. He did not stay in the position long. Ganondorf thrust his foot out into his foe's chest. It just barely touched him, seeing as his enemy had the weapon with the superior reach. The spear-user stumbled though, and that was all Ganondorf needed.

Acting quickly, the Gerudo hit the man's side with the flat of his sword before elbowing him in the chest. Ganondorf's eyes widened as he felt the other man's knee rise into his gut as he fell back. It knocked the wind out of him. They both fell to their knees, out of breath and weary of the battle.

"I think that's enough Brock." Ganondorf gasped out. He almost lost a rib with that last strike. He really didn't need an injury like that when they were so close to their destination.

Brock pushed himself onto his feet with his spear. His legs were shaking. They had been going at this for hours.

"Can't we go any longer?" Brock wheezed, barely able to breathe.

"If we go any longer, you'll die." Ganondorf gasped.

Ganondorf sighed and wondered again how Brock had talked him into this. They walked about twenty miles each day. They were all tired at the end of it, except Brock. That crazy man wouldn't notice fatigue if it bit him on the nose. Frank had politely declined and Crow gratefully lacked the limbs necessary for sparring, so naturally Brock had asked Ganondorf.

"And we've been doing it for over three weeks." He grumbled as they walked back to their camp. Every day when they stopped they had sparred with each other. It had taken Brock a week to grasp the fine muscle control necessary for wielding a spear. Afterward, he just kept improving. The man had an incredible learning curve when it came to combat. He never repeated the same mistake twice. He made techniques up on the fly, and perhaps the most startling of all, he had managed to combine his martial arts with his spear handling. Three weeks of training and Brock had learned to use his weapon.

_'Guess all it took was a real opponent.'_ Ganondorf mused as they approached the others. Rabbits, or something very similar, were cooking over the fire. Frank looked up from them to his two approaching companions.

"Done beating on each other already?"

Brock smiled and nodded his head. "Yep. It was fun!"

Ganondorf simply sat down and took one of the rabbits. He was hungry.

"We'll be at the valley in a few days, so you two might want to stop with the sessions for a while. We need to be at our best for this."

"I don't think we need the pep talk Frank." Crow squawked from her perch. "We all know what the score is."

Ganondorf dropped the stick that had once held a rabbit and walked to his blankets. He didn't need any more activity today.

Soon enough, the band of misfits reached their destination. The valley was huge, easily going out for miles in every direction. It was a gigantic bowl, dropping hundreds of feet before reaching flat land.

"Tell me again what Finis could possibly want with this place. What's the point of a general or an army here?"

"Simply economics again. Many herbs grown here are used for medical purposes. Finis regulates the control and makes a hefty profit. Wars need money after all."

"I've found his location." Crow said as she descended back to them. "Troops were coming and going from a small castle to the west down there. That's likely where he is."

"Why is it always a castle?" Brock asked no one in particular.

"It's an ego thing." Frank responded. "It makes the owner of said castle feel more important."

"There's also great defense value." Ganondorf grumbled. He remembered his own castle.

"Perhaps, but defense doesn't need something quite so… flamboyant." Frank said with a grin. Ganondorf just scowled.

The castle didn't take long to spot. They approached from behind in an attempt to avoid some of the guards. They found no guards, but they didn't find a door either.

"Hmm, perhaps the only entrance is from the front?"

"No, there have to be side doors for supplies and such. Without those the front gate would get clogged with too much traffic."

"You speak as if from experience." Frank said with a grin.

"Let's just find the damn door."

After a little searching, they noticed three guards that looked out of place by the wall. Ganondorf grinned from behind the bushes where he was hiding.

_'We've found our door.'_

Ganondorf tapped Brock's shoulder and made a small throwing motion. Brock got the hint and hefted his spear. With a mighty throw it launched from the bushes and deep into the ground between the guards. Naturally, the guards turned their heads to the spear. This was all the distraction needed. Ganondorf and Brock rushed out and before the guards could even draw their swords, the two companions swiftly knocked the hapless men upside their heads, rendering them unconscious.

"Easily defended eh?" Frank said as he lifted himself from the cover. Ganondorf chose not to respond. He took the keys dangling from one guard's belt and unlocked the door located nearby.

Security was lax inside. Any guards they did find were easily avoided. They simply took another hall. Ganondorf frowned at how easy this was. Something wasn't right.

"So you noticed it also?" Frank whispered. "We're being lead somewhere."

"Most likely to the general." Brock added.

"But why? What's the point of leading us to himself?" Crow squawked as quietly as she could.

Ganondorf sneered. "Perhaps he just wants the glory of killing us himself. It is of no consequence. It just makes our job easier."

Eventually, the path they were being lead on ended in a huge set of doors. They were a polished oak appointed with gold. It was an elegant entrance.

"Definitely an ego thing." Frank muttered as Ganondorf pushed open the doors. The room inside was dark. Only a few torches provided light, and they barely lit it enough to see. An imposing figure sat on the throne at the end of the room. His long black hair shined with the limited light. His face was handsome in a sinister way, all sharp edges. A scar traced down from the left side of his forehead and ended at the right side of his chin. This added to his sinister look.

He was well built and tall. Not as tall as Ganondorf but tall. He seemed to radiate a malevolent aura. Truly, this was a man to be wary of.

"It's about time you made it." He said with a deep, mocking voice. "I was getting bored."

Ganondorf grinned. "Then let's begin!"

"But it's already over."

Ganondorf stepped forward to prove this fool wrong. Or, he would have if he could have moved. He looked down at his body and saw that the darkness in the room had wrapped itself lightly over him. He hadn't even noticed it, so lightly it touched, but its hold was like steel. Ganondorf could not move. The outcries of his companions told him they were in the same condition.

"I was hoping you might wait for Finis to return and fight him, but you just had to come and find me. It's such a shame."

The man rose from his throne and walked to Ganondorf. The grin on his sharp face was maniacal, perhaps even insane.

"I would have wanted to kill him after he exhausted himself with all of you. No matter, I'll just get him when he returns. No one makes a fool of Shisou and lives! He'll pay for humiliating me and giving me this wretched scar! No one forces Shisou into servitude! No one!"

He continued on like this for a while. Ganondorf and company stopped paying attention very early into the rant. Frank sighed a bit.

"Why do they always talk so much?"

"I honestly have no idea. I never saw much use for it." Ganondorf said in response.

"By the mountains. He's worse than Kaze."

"Yeah. Hey, how is he keeping us here anyway?" Brock asked as he tried to wiggle out of what was holding him.

"Shadow magic. This man has complete control over darkness and related elements. It's not a popular form of magic though. The side effect of learning it makes you… a little off kilter."

"I'll say. Can't you just magic yourself out?"

"He's got me blocked somehow. I can't gather any power."

"Are you listening to me!" Shisou screeched more then asked. How dare his captives not quake with fear at his might and cunning? How could they just stand there and talk while he was promoting his glory?

"No, not really." Ganondorf said calmly. In actuality he was furiously trying to figure a way out of this mess, but he wouldn't give Shisou the pleasure of watching him squirm.

"How dare you! Ooh, I have a special death for you. Yes, you deserve the worst!"

Shisou placed his hand on Ganondorf's head. A flash of darkness erupted from his hand, and Ganondorf passed out on his feet. The only thing holding him up was Shisou's power.

"What did you do to him?" Frank growled.

"Heh heh. I've made him destroy himself."

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Everything was dark. Ganondorf was floating in a void of black. The strange thing was that Ganondorf could see perfectly fine, it was just that since everything was black and formless, there wasn't anything to see.

**"There you are."** A guttural, booming voice said from the void. It sounded like leather cracking and falling apart. **"I finally get to deal with you."**

"Who are you?" Ganondorf called out into the void. This voice made him uneasy. It was familiar, and yet he could not recognize it. It was as if time had washed it away from him.

**"You should know. I am you. The real you."**

A huge, hulking shape appeared before Ganondorf. Its head was arched low so it could put its face in front of Ganondorf's. It's curved horns were on either side of Ganondorf's face, preventing the Gerudo from looking away. The tusks in the things mouth were almost touching him, this was how close the beast was. It exhaled and Ganondorf stumbled back gagging. The thing's breath was rancid, like rotting flesh in an open field.

It was standing on ground that had not been there before. It was a walled arena. It tapped it's hooved feet as if in anticipation. Ganondorf wasn't noticing the new ground though; his eyes were only for the monster before him.

"Ganon." He whispered in shock.

"**Imposter." **Ganon growled in response.

Ganondorf's anger overrode the dread that was growing in his stomach. "What do you mean?"

**"I am the real one. I am the true man. You are simply a flicker."**

"What do you mean? You're just a part of me!"

**"Fool, I am the real you!"**

Ganon struck out with his clawed fist, impacting Ganondorf hard. A flash of fear tore through the Gerudo as he flew backwards. This monster was strong, extremely strong. He collided with the wall hard enough to crack it. His vision was fuzzy, but he could have sworn Ganon was leering at him.

**"So weak. You have made us grow weak. You should have stayed locked away. I should be the one in control."**

Ganondorf pushed himself up with much effort. He had absolutely no idea what was going on, but he wasn't going to lose to something like this. Somehow Ganon was separate and real here. If Ganondorf didn't get serious, he was going to die.

Ganon charged again, overextending with his huge arm. Ganondorf shifted to the side and kicked the beast at its elbow. He felt the bone snap under the pressure and grinned. That was when the beast tripped him with its tail. He rolled out of the way before a heavy cloven foot could crush his ribs.

He quickly jumped to his feet and sprang into action. The darkness that permeated this place wrapped around Ganon's shattered elbow. When it dispersed, the beast's arm was restored.

**"You still don't get it."**

The beast charged again, trying to use it's horns to gore Ganondorf. The Gerudo jumped into the air and kicked the back of the beast's head. Ganon growled and swung it's arm out in retaliation. Ganondorf swerved to avoid it, but it glanced him on his side. He spun fiercely before impacting the ground. Ganondorf hissed and clutched his ribs, his side was a wall of pain. It was getting difficult to breathe. He forced himself to rise and blocked a punch from the monster. He then retaliated with an attack of his own. His punches were covered with a purple aura that trailed behind his fist as he attacked. This continued for a while, dodging and hitting. Nothing Ganondorf did, however, seemed to do any kind of real damage. He was bleeding from claws that just barely missed and horns that touched him ever so slightly. All those small wounds added together and he was getting tired. He knew he couldn't win like this. The monster had too much strength and he still had that blasted healing ability!

Ganon suddenly shifted tactics and struck out with it's hooves. Ganondorf shifted, and so did the beast's foot. The dark entity's kick curved and knocked into Ganondorf hard. The creature then followed up with a strong punch to Ganondorf's chest, throwing the Gerudo to the ground once more. Ganondorf wanted to howl in frustration. Nothing was working! The darkness shifted again and began to heal the damage done to Ganon like it had before. Ganondorf observed this with dismay.

_'How is it doing that? I couldn't heal myself like that when I was Ganon. It has to be some kind of trick!'_

Ganondorf had mused for a little too long, and Ganon had taken advantage of this. The beast pinned Ganondorf down with one huge hand, bringing its face next to Ganondorf's. Its other hand rose as if to strike the Gerudo, deadly claws extended to rend Ganondorf's flesh.

Ganon laughed at Ganondorf, and hate unimaginable grew inside the Gerudo. This monster was mocking him, taunting him! Ganondorf screamed in rage and grabbed onto the hand holding him down, stealing the warmth from it and causing it to freeze. Ganon stumbled back in shock, allowing Ganondorf to get up. Lifting his frozen arm to his face, Ganon breathed on it, and it thawed rapidly. Ganondorf took that time to gather his black lightening into a huge ball and hurled it at Ganon, who simply caught it with one hand. That piggish face smiled as it added some of it's own strength to the attack and sent it back. Ganondorf managed to avoid it, but the explosion it caused behind him took him off his feet, hurling him to the ground. Ganon continued it's assault by breathing flame where Ganondorf had fallen, but the Gerudo quickly rolled and once more dodged what would have been certain death. The heat stung Ganondorf and made his eyes water, but he was soon far enough away that the fire was no threat. Ganon's assault stopped as his exhalation finished, giving Ganondorf chance.

He flipped himself up swiftly and launched himself at the monster, flying through the air with his foot extended. His leg was covered with a fiery purple aura. The energy covering his leg exploded as his foot impacted with Ganon's chest. The creature roared in pain as it flew back and impacted with the wall, earning a grin from Ganondorf. He panted as he landed from his kick, stumbling slightly as he did so. He had put all his force into that strike, all of his power, he hoped that it would be enough.

The demon shifted and got up once more. The darkness surrounded it's burned and bleeding chest, aiding the creature again, healing the wound and replenishing the evil creature's strength. Ganondorf growled in frustration. How could he beat something that was aided by the dark here?

_'Wait, the dark?'_

Ganondorf took a better look at his surroundings while the beast was healing. Pain and blood loss had made thinking difficult, but with this time he had the chance to clear his head a bit. Taking a closer look at it, it seemed as if the darkness was connected to Ganon. Did that mean that this Ganon wasn't the real Ganon?

'_Or is it simply the persona of this dark?'_ Ganondorf thought firmly. He had his answer now. He knew what Shisou did, and he shuddered at how deadly this trick of his really was.

"I see it now."

"**You see nothing." **Ganon said as it got ready to fight again. Ganondorf ignored this and walked forward.

"That shadow user split off my negativity, you. You are all my anger, frustration, fear, and so much more given form."

The Gerudo stopped a few feet from the creature and looked up into its visage. Ganon seemed to be sneering, but it was hard to tell through it's pig like face. Ganondorf matched it with a look of calm determination.

"I'm done fighting you. You'll be doing what I want now."

Ganon screeched and warped where it stood. It was twisting in on itself until it touched Ganondorf's head. There was a flash where they touched, and Ganon began to enter into Ganondorf. The monster tried to resist, but it was no use. In no time at all, the creature was gone.

And then the world shifted.

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"Now," Shisou began as he observed the four trapped warriors. "What to do with the rest of you?"

Any response that could have been given was instantly forgotten when Ganondorf awoke with a gasp. Shisou's eyes widen in shock at Ganondorf's recovery. After all, it isn't every day someone recovers from an unbeatable technique.

"That's impossible!"

Shisou's shock made his control slip for just a moment, but that moment was all Ganondorf needed. He used his power to create a bright light around his body, blinding Shisou and casting away the darkness. Now with full control, Ganondorf drew his sword and ran Shisou through his abdomen. The shadow mage's face took on a visage of shocked disbelief before he crumpled to the floor.

Ganondorf drew his sword free before falling backwards. His companions rushed to his aid and were relieved to find that he was only unconscious. The Gerudo was exhausted.

"What just happened?" Brock asked his two companions.

They just shrugged.

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Well, there really isn't a lot left to this, is there? The five are defeated, so now only Finis is left. Still, there is much to do, and I have so many ideas. Thanks for reading so far, the next will take MUCH less time then these two, I promise. Though, you can't really trust my promises on these things, as you all know. Sayonara!


	30. Three Steps From Oblivion

Author's Note: I am sorry for the delay here. Lots of stuff I had to do, colleges to try and get into. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I do not own Zelda.

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Three Steps From Oblivion

"So… is he still alive?"

"Brock, he's breathing. Of course he's alive."

"But he's been out for four hours. He's never taken this long before."

"That's true, but remember that this is Ganondorf. I really can't imagine him dying, at least not this quietly."

"Ha! I knew you thought that!"

"It would certainly be in his character." Frank mumbled.

Brock took the blunt end of his spear and began to poke Ganondorf's prone body in the head. After Shisou had been dealt with, they had quickly dragged their comrade out of the castle and back into the wilderness. Throughout all of that, Ganondorf had remained unconscious. Not much had changed in the last few hours.

At least until Ganondorf grabbed the end of Brock's spear.

"Stop doing that." He growled out. Brock quickly moved out of the Gerudo's way.

He stumbled to his feet and clutched his forehead. He blinked a little to clear his eyes. The sun had begun to set in the valley, which alerted him that he had been out for a while, in that they had arrived in the afternoon. Ganondorf didn't care too much about this though. "Goddesses, I have such a headache."

"Really? What did that guy do to you?"

Ganondorf grimaced at the noise of his companion's voice. His head was pounding fiercely, and his memory was fuzzy with pain.

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"Indeed, Triforce Bearer. You have other issues to deal with now."

Ganondorf turned and saw DIN standing there, the same passive, yet knowing expression on her face as with all the other times she had shown herself. Ganondorf smiled. This was it, the moment he had agonized and fought for. The moment he regained what was his.

Light flashed on the back of Ganondorf's right hand, blinding everyone. Ganondorf did not look away though. He stared right into the blinding flash. He didn't want to miss such a glorious moment, the moment he became unstoppable once more.

The light died and Ganondorf was still staring at his hand. It was all there. The three triangles, two faded but one completely whole, were clearly visible on his hand. The symbol of the Triforce of Power.

"It's back! It's finally back!" He shouted joyously. "After so long, I have what is mine again! I have the power of Ganon!"

He turned to the shocked faces of his companions, smiling broadly.

"You will finally be able to witness the strength of Ganon as I use it to crush Finis utterly!"

He laughed. He laughed hard. It felt so good to laugh. As his stress and pent up anxiety was fading away he guffawed a deep booming laugh.

"You will not become Ganon, Triforce Bearer." DIN's soft voice cut through Ganondorf's merriment. Suddenly, the laughter was cut short.

"What do you mean? Of course I will become Ganon."

"No, you will not."

"You're speaking nonsense!"

"Excuse me," Frank said speaking up. "But I'm a little lost on all this. Ganondorf has mentioned Ganon before, but what exactly is Ganon and why won't Ganondorf turn into him?"

"Ganon was a beast, a monster whose cruelty knew no bounds. Utilizing the true strength of the Triforce, Ganondorf became this beast."

"And he won't now?" Brock asked.

"Correct. He became Ganon because that was the manifestation of his inner being. However, things have changed. You should know this, Triforce Bearer. Your latest battle should have revealed this to you."

Flashes of his fight came back to Ganondorf. He clutched his face as his head throbbed with the memories. He remembered the fight, the pain, and his victory over the darkness inside himself.

'_That wasn't a dream?'_

"You mean… that was real?" He whispered.

"Yes."

"Then, what will I become?"

"I do not know."

"What?"

"I do not know. It is far too soon for anything definite to be determined. You may become something worse then Ganon, or something entirely different. Ultimately, that is up to you."

She disappeared without flair or light, simply vanishing into thin air. Ganondorf rushed to where she had been, confused and disoriented. How could she not know? She had to know! She had to tell him! How could he wield a tool whose effects could not be known before use?

"What does that mean!" He screamed rather then shouted at her enigmatic speech. "Damn you goddess! What does that mean!"

He slumped to the ground, staring at his hand. What had once filled him with joy now only brought trepidation. He had known before what he would become, but now the future was not so clear.

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Despite Ganondorf's brooding, all agreed that getting further away from the castle of their vanquished foe was the best idea at this point. Even so, Ganondorf had no idea what he was going to do. Before, he had been too filled with rage and pain to realize what he was doing the first time he had used the Triforce to change himself. This was a different situation though. He had the option of thinking clearly. If his previous experience would not yield any information on what the Triforce would do to him this time, then he was truly lost.

Would the change only be temporary, like the first time? Would he be in complete control, or would the power simply overwhelm him and drive him mad? Even if he did change back, would he still be himself? These and so many other questions burned in his mind as he contemplated the mark on the back of his hand.

He was like this all through the weeks of travel it took to get back to the village of Hillonds Door. It unnerved his companions greatly, seeing him worried like this. It was not like him, for they were far too used to his scowl. They hoped that perhaps May might be able to relieve some of the anxiety that they felt from Ganondorf.

Sadly, this was not to be.

"What in the world happened here?" Crow whispered as they looked upon what was once Hillonds Door. Brock slumped to his knees in shock as he viewed what was once a bustling, lively community.

The village had been totally destroyed. The air was thick and gritty, almost stifling with the heat. Ganondorf and his comrades had to resist the urge to cough as they walked through the wreckage. Houses had been burned or knocked down, stores had been looted and vandalized, and the air hung with the stench of burning wood.

But that was not the only scent in the air.

In the middle of all this destruction lay a pile of bodies, all unmoving and all pale. By the reek, you could tell they were at least a few days dead.

Ganondorf's eyes widened in horror as he took in the sight. He rushed over to the pile and began digging through the bodies, trying desperately to find something. The others followed close behind.

"You will n… not find her there." A weak voice rasped from the side. Ganondorf turned quickly, almost expecting an attack. Instead, he found only a broken and dying man.

"Ragnen." Ganondorf whispered. He bent down to the man and lifted his head gently. The old man was cut everywhere, and where he wasn't cut he was bruised. Ganondorf noted that some of his wounds showed signs of treatment, but it wasn't enough. No, it was far from enough.

"Ragnen, what happened here?"

The old man smiled weakly before going into a fit of coughing. When the fit was over, he grasped Ganondorf's hand as tightly as he was able.

"He's back, Ganondorf. Finis came back. He came back to punish the traitors. He started to round up all the villagers. Those who resisted were killed. He struck me down for trying to hide May."

"So some are still alive?" Brock asked as he knelt down near the man, his eyes gleaming with the possibility of hope. Ragnen turned his head slowly to see the wild haired fighter's face.

"Yes. He took them to his capital, to his castle."

He looked back to Ganondorf.

"Please, save them. Please… save… M…"

He exhaled sharply, and then he breathed no more.

Ganondorf looked down at the old man solemnly before he closed the still open eyes of the corpse. He laid the still figure down gently before standing up. He looked at the healer's face, looking so still and yet so worried. Ganondorf's face changed from one of pity to one of anger. All his worries were forgotten for the moment.

"He's goading us. He's trying to draw us to him, hoping that we will come in a rage."

"That is the most likely reason for this travesty." Frank answered back softly. He had covered his face with his hand, trying to remain strong in the face of this devastation. He was doing a poor job of it, for beneath his hand tracks of water cut through the grit that had attached itself to his face. Crow's own visage was similar, turning her beak down sadly at this senseless waste of life.

Ganondorf lifted his hand suddenly, and to the surprise of all, launched an attack off to the side, creating a large hole. He lifted Ragnen, which brought Brock out of the stupor he had been in next to the healer who had helped them so much. He carried the body to the great crater, keeping his face like stone as he did so.

"I refuse to leave these people to the beasts." He muttered. No one said anything else in response; they just moved to help him in this grim duty.

'_I'm sorry that this is all I can do for now. When this is over, I'll bury you all properly.'_

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It took them only four days to get to the capital. It was the same place where Ganondorf had entered into this world. The land was still blasted and vegetation was still scarce. Something new, however, had emerged on the landscape.

It was a huge army that had situated itself around the entire city. Thousands of troops covered it from all sides, either on the walls or on the grounds next to them. Finis's army may have been diminished from his recent war, but they were still a force to be feared.

"All this for us? I think I'm kind of flattered." Brock said with a chuckle, trying to disperse the gloom that had covered the group ever since the village. He failed miserably.

"Yeah? Well, his flattery is going to get us killed." Crow squawked. "There's no way we can sneak around that, much less fight through it."

Ganondorf merely growled in response. Crow was right though. There was no chance that they could actually get past this. Ganondorf briefly contemplated raising another army of ghosts, but squashed the thought quickly. There were nowhere near enough tormented souls permeating this land as there had been at Myotus's castle. Apparently Finis had the foresight to kill people away from his capital.

Though… he could overwhelm them all if he simply used his gift. This line of thought was smashed as soon as Ganondorf contemplated it. He couldn't risk it, he simply couldn't risk using a power he didn't know he could control.

"We'll find another way then!" Brock said finally. "I'm not giving up after coming this far!"

"That's a good answer." The group turned in response to the new voice. Frank's sister, Sarah, stood there smiling at them. Frank's face immediately brightened.

"Sarah! It's good to see you again, but why are you here?"

"I thought that you guys might be here, so I decided to give you some help."

"That's a nice offer," Crow started. "But unless you have an army hiding in that blouse, then you're not going to be much help."

"Well, it's not hiding in my blouse."

"What?"

A horn sounded in the distance. Off in the horizon, an enormous ship appeared, floating in the air on top of a huge bubble of water. Beneath the ship was another army, all clad in armour and all armed to the teeth.

"How?" Frank asked after his mouth began to work again.

"Not as hard as you would think. I had my own army, which was not particularly loyal to Finis, I found the remnants of the resistance that Kaze scattered, and afterwards I was able to convince most of the other wandering forces that you had dealt with to come together with me. After all, this isn't just your fight. Everybody in Kyteria has a stake in this. I just gave them the opportunity to do something."

"You do realize that your numbers are lacking." Ganondorf said, never turning from examining the enemy's army before him.

"Well, aren't you the pessimist. We're not here to take the city; we're here to be a distraction! You can sneak in while we keep those guys occupied."

"Sarah," Frank began sternly, "I really don't want you going into this."

His face was concerned but firm. His sister, however, merely laughed.

"Too late Frank. Some of our other siblings have joined up, and it looks like those idiots over there finally noticed my little army."

She took a flask of water from her belt and emptied it onto the ground. The water formed around her feet and lifted her into the air.

"We're counting on you guys!" She shouted as she flew off towards her army.

"Don't you die Sarah!" Frank called after her. She simply waved her response.

"Well, I see no reason to waste this. Let's get going!" Crow called out before she flew off of Frank's shoulder and towards the city. Already the army was mobilizing in response to the impending danger. The majority of the troops were getting into position and filing out, hoping to stop the invading force before it got near the city. A small number stayed behind in case of a siege in the unlikely event that the defending force would fail.

The two armies came together suddenly and the once quiet plain was filled with the noises of war. Gornoid fought Gornoid, man fought man, and magic flew everywhere. The ship Sarah had been supporting started to catch fire early on, so she simply crashed it into the back of the invading forces after everyone got off. She had more then enough water for her magic, which was all she really needed.

This provided more then enough holes for the motley band to slip through.

"Does any one else think it's convenient that she just happened to show up right when we needed something like this?" Brock asked as they ran through the empty streets. No one wanted to leave their houses with the army still so close by. They were even less inclined now that the sounds of battle could be heard in the distance, which meant Ganondorf and his companions had little trouble on their way to the castle.

"She's always loved doing that, showing up in the nick of time." Frank answered. "I think she thinks it's fun to play the right on time hero, so she plans it out that way."

"Strange."

"Try living with her."

Brock just laughed. Conversation died, however, when the giant doors of the castle came into view. Ganondorf scowled and kicked them. The doors slammed opened and impacted the walls hard.

"I still say it's an ego thing." Frank muttered as he observed the doors.

"Maybe, but if you've got the money why not use it?" A voice asked from further in the room. A man dressed in black leaned against a wall on the far side of the room. His black shirt was baggy and he wore black gloves to go with it. His pants were a similar color, as were his shoes.

"Hello, I'll be your killer this afternoon. Looks like the boss was right, you guys managed to get this far."

He stood up straight and walked forward, banging his fists together as he did so. The knuckles clanged, announcing the presence of metal in his gloves.

"All together or one at a time, it doesn't matter to me." He said as he placed his weight on his back foot, getting into a defensive stance.

He stopped short though, when he took a closer look at the people he would be fighting.

"Hey," The man said pointing to Brock. "You're the kid from that dojo I burnt! So you made it out all right I see." He said with a wolfish grin.

Brock's eyes widened. Ganondorf looked to his comrade expecting to see rage contort the man's normally cheerful face. All he could see was a firm expression. However, Brock's knuckles were white as he gripped his spear tightly.

Brock shook a bit, whether in fear or anger, before exhaling deeply and looking at Ganondorf. His usual smile graced his features, though his eyes looked sad.

"Ganondorf, I must apologize. I will not be able to aid you in killing Finis. Please forgive me and move on. I wish to handle this myself."

"Are you sure?" Frank asked quietly.

"I am quite sure thank you. Please go on." He said tersely. His eyes had gone from sad to fierce as he stared at his enemy. Ganondorf had only seen that look a scant few times on Brock, or on any man for that matter. This kind of determination was hard to find.

Ganondorf nodded to Brock and ran for the nearby stairs. Finis was not on this floor. No, the man was higher, on one of the other floors. The others followed; looking back at Brock as they ran up the stairs, hoping the fighter would be all right.

The black clad man simply ignored the others as they left the room. He looked at Brock critically.

"You're going to regret sending them away kid."

The remaining three ran up the stairs swiftly. They worried for their companion, but knew Brock could handle himself. He would have to be able to handle himself.

They reached another obstacle on the third floor. A tall man in ragged clothing and spiky black hair stood there, giggling madly and talking to nothing. He noticed the group almost immediately.

"It's playtime!" He screeched, extending his hand. Flame shot out, but was quickly intercepted by a wall of air. Crow had left her perch on Frank's shoulder.

"Feh, this one isn't so tough. You guys go on. I'm the only one that can deal with this one besides Ganondorf, and Ganondorf is the one we'll need to fight Finis."

"Crow, you think you handle him?"

"What do you take me for? Of course I can handle him. He's nothing but a matchstick, and the wind blows those out."

"Or makes them stronger."

"Whatever."

Taking her advice, Ganondorf and Frank ran to the next set of stairs. The giggling creature tried to stop them, but was quickly distracted by a ball of hard air hitting him in the face.

"Hey, don't ignore me ugly."

Up and up the remaining two ran. Ganondorf was frustrated. They still hadn't reached Finis. This, however, was only part of the reason for his anxiety. The mark on his hand still filled him with a vague dread. He kept thinking about it, his mind going over every scenario. Paranoia seeped into his being. He couldn't trust this mark.

Once more they were stopped, this time at the seventh floor. A swordsman stood there, two sheaths strapped to his back. He sighed and got ready.

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this." He muttered as he drew his swords. Frank stepped forward.

"Ganondorf, against Finis I would be little more then a distraction. However, this man is in our way and wasting your energy on him would be counter-productive. Please my friend, let me help you here."

"Frank…" Ganondorf began.

"Do not let your fear rule your actions, Ganondorf." Frank said quickly, cutting the Gerudo off. "You never have before, please do not start now. Now go."

Ganondorf opened his mouth as if to say something, but closed it and ran to the stairs. Frank's opponent looked at him sadly.

"You could surrender, you know that right?"

"You could too."

The stairs went further and further up. Ganondorf grimaced. He knew this cliché, he had enacted in it before. Finis would be right at the top.

The stairs eventually stopped on the twelfth floor, the top floor. The room was large, and in the middle of it stood a large golden throne. Finis sat there, as if waiting.

"So, you are finally here assassin." Finis muttered darkly. He rose from his seat and threw off his crimson cape. He was adorned in the same armour as before, with the same swords at his sides.

"Let us finish this."

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I have a few things to say. One, I would like to thank Scribble Scratch for so many reviews all at the same time. That really made my day there. Two, I would like to thank Crazy-Freak for promoting my story on her DeviantArt journal. That is so cool! The fan art you made for it looked great also.

Now, on to a guilty little confession I have to make. I… I've been stalling on this, just a little bit. It's so close to the finish, I guess I really don't want this to end. These big long gaps I take between chapters are me trying to perfect it, thinking up ideas and editing what has already been written. It has become a fairly large part of my life, I guess I didn't want that to end. So… yeah, I stalled a little on this one. For this, I must apologize.

It won't happen again though! I owe it to my faithful reviewers, those who might read my story in the future, and lastly to myself to finish this. I'm gonna make these final chapters the best they can possibly be! I hope you all will be there with me to see the end of this. Sayonara for now. I hope to see you all again soon.


	31. Two Steps From the Edge

Author's Notes: This was a long time in coming, but it's finally here. I spent quite a bit of time planning this out so that it would be worthy of reading. I hope that it is of quality that makes it worth the delay. As always, I don't own Zelda. Please read and enjoy.

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Two Steps From the Edge

"Oi, kid. Tell me your name." The black clad figure on the other side of the room said in response to Brock's ready stance. He showed no fear in the face of Brock's determination, only confidence and anticipation. It was obvious he wanted this fight.

"I am Brock-Lee, disciple of Shinryuu Otansei, the man you murdered." Brock said coldly. He shifted the grip on his spear, waiting to see if his opponent might draw some sort of weapon. His determination and anger was apparent now that his comrades had left the room. He didn't want them to see him like this.

"Ah, I see. That little fiasco seems to have roped me an enemy."

Brock's opponent bowed lightly. "I am Zagrin Onorato. Thank you for telling me your name."

Brock's brow furrowed in confusion. "Will you not draw a weapon?"

"I see no need."

"Very well then." Brock said before flinging his spear to the side. He bowed, albeit stiffly, to Zagrin before charging at the man.

Brock's punch met with the back of Zagrin's hand, forcing it away from its intended target, the man's head. Zagrin responded by lifting his knee into Brock's stomach, throwing him backwards. Brock shifted his weight while in midair to bring up his knee, blocking the punch Zagrin had launched at him. The strength of it forced Brock to fly even further back, causing him crash into the wall on the other side of the room. Brock crouched down, taking in his opponent again.

_'This guy is tough.'_

Using the wall behind him, Brock pushed off and launched at Zagrin once more. Zagrin deflected Brock's punch and used the same arm to strike out with his elbow. Brock moved his head out of the way, dodging the attack, before raising his knee to try and knock the wind out of his opponent. Zagrin responded by raising his own knee and blocking the strike.

Brock's vision blurred suddenly. Somehow, Zagrin had managed to use his other hand to hit Brock's kidney. Taking advantage of his opponent's momentary weakness, Zagrin rammed his head onto Brock's, forcing him away. Brock was then blown away once more as Zagrin's foot connected with his stomach. He struck the ground hard, tearing his shirt a little as he rolled.

"Have you cooled off yet? You're fighting like an idiot." Zagrin chastised. Brock growled in response. He was about to get up, but Zagrin made a stopping motion. Confused, Brock waited.

"Now that you seem to have calmed down a little, I'm going to tell you something I'm sure you wish to know. I'm going to give you the specifics of how your master died."

"You probably snuck up on him and took him by surprise! You're a mercenary, you kill for money!" Brock shouted. Zagrin merely shook his head.

"There you go, getting riled up again. This fight is going to be way too short if you keep doing that. Yes, I am a mercenary. Yes, I kill for money. However, I have never once snuck up on an opponent and attacked from behind. I always tell my target that I am there to kill him. The target deserves to know, and the target deserves a chance to fight back. The money initiates the action, but it is my decision how the contest shall proceed. This is what happened with your master. Unfortunately, one of the lamps in the room was knocked down by one of my attacks. The other students in the dojo were not my targets, it was an accident that they died."

"And you expect me to believe that?"

"Whether you do or not does not matter, it is the truth. I have told you that I am going to kill you. Calm down and defend yourself!"

This time, Zagrin charged forward. As he did so, Brock's mind went in many different directions at once. He was still angry, but now he was starting to examine the situation a bit more.

_'He's right.'_ Brock realized. _'I've been fighting in anger, and anger dulls strength.'_

Brock inhaled deeply before blocking the kick Zagrin had sent towards his head. Before the man could pull his leg back, Brock grabbed it and pulled forward. The black clad fighter impacted with Brock's elbow and stumbled back. Brock, pressing his advantage, struck out again. Zagrin managed to move his head out of the way of Brock's punch and ducked low to try and uppercut the man. Brock jumped up as Zagrin's fist connected, taking the edge out of the strike. He then dropped his fist down in a hammer motion. This took Zagrin in the shoulder, forcing the fist that was digging into Brock's stomach to drop suddenly. They both broke away from each other, gasping with exertion. Brock had managed to even the score a little.

"Good, you're doing better." Zagrin commented as he popped his shoulder back into place.

The fight continued like this for a while, each fighter striking and dodging the other. Now that Brock had calmed down, he was seeing strikes that before he had missed, anticipating blows before they happened and connecting with his opponent instead of being blocked. He idly noted that the building appeared to be shaking a little, as if something upstairs was causing the structure to rattle. He ignored this though, it wasn't important for the fight.

They broke away again, observing each other. The sleeves on Brock's shirt had long since been ripped off, showing his arms to be covered in bruises. Though one couldn't see it, his legs were in similar shape. Zagrin, however, wasn't much better off. A black eye was clear on his face, and he was clutching his left shoulder. Apparently Brock's initial dislocating of the joint was still troubling the black clad fighter.

"What say you we kick this fight up a notch? You had better go grab your spear."

"Why would I do that?" Brock responded between deep exhalations. "You have no weapon."

A shallow cut emerged on Brock's cheek as Zagrin flicked his hand in a short motion.

"You're wrong on that one." He said before he brought his hand down in a chopping motion.

Brock dove to the side as the floor where he once stood was sliced open. He rolled forward and came up in a kneeling position next to his spear. He grabbed it and pointed the weapon accusingly at Zagrin.

"You're using magic! You filthy cheater!"

"I am using no such thing!" Zagrin shouted back, slicing again with his arm. Brock held out his spear to intercept the attack. He felt something wrap itself around the head of his weapon. Light shimmered off the slender objects that connected his weapon to Zagrin's hand.

"Wires." Brock whispered.

Zagrin grinned widely. "Yes! You have it! This is the pinnacle of my technique! It all comes down to this! Fight me, Brock-Lee!"

Brock pulled back with his spear, trying to take off one of Zagrin's gloves. If he disabled those wires, he would stand a better chance. Anticipating this, Zagrin struck at his wrists. There was a metal clinking sound and the wires detached.

"Good try!" Zagrin shouted before striking out with both arms. Brock fanned to the side as the floor began to be shredded. He kept running, jumping to the side and rolling to dodge the strings of death attached to Zagrin's fingers. Despite his best efforts though, he was being cut up all over. Blood was pouring down Brock's body in little rivers. The only reason he wasn't in small pieces was because of his spear and his reflexes.

He flipped backwards to dodge the wires he knew were heading toward him and landed roughly. He immediately dove to his left to avoid another strike. As he was doing this, Brock thought rapidly. Zagrin had far greater range then him, and that made all the difference. Also, despite Brock's injuring of the man's shoulder, Zagrin was able to use his left arm as efficiently as his right. That meant there were no holes in the man's strikes. He couldn't get close to Zagrin; those wires were a perfect defense as well as a deadly attack. He was also using far less energy then Brock. If this continued, Brock knew he would lose.

Brock jumped out of his rolling and started running again, ducking and jumping to avoid the wires. He was beginning to catch the rhythm that Zagrin fell into using his wires. He always struck horizontally after attacking at least twice vertically; allowing Brock to guess where the next strike would come.

Zagrin struck vertically after his last horizontal strike missed Brock. Brock got ready for another vertical, crouching quickly and diving into a roll. Pain flashed suddenly as the wires grazed his back. Brock continued forward and glared at Zagrin. The man merely smiled in response.

_'He was setting me into a pattern.'_ Brock realized. This man was truly dangerous, and Brock could see now why he would never need to sneak up on his opponents. He was skilled enough that such tricks were unnecessary.

Brock racked his mind for a solution as he continued to dodge, trying not to get caught up by the pattern again. Range was the problem. Zagrin had greater range. Brock glanced at his spear and smiled as an idea, a very risky idea, came to him.

"Well, I'm gonna die someday anyway." He whispered before throwing his spear at Zagrin with all his strength. Zagrin's eyes widened at the move. He grabbed the wires extending from one of his hands and held them up to catch the spear before it would impact his chest.

Brock was not idle though. He ran forward as his spear was caught and jumped into the air. Extending his leg, he put all his weight behind his kick as it hit the butt of his weapon and pushed forward. It cut through the wires and punched straight into Zagrin's ribs, going completely through and out the other side of the man's body.

The force of the strike pushed Zagrin all the way to the wall, where he slumped down and sat still. Brock limped over and looked down as Zagrin stared up at him.

"Heh." Zagrin laughed as blood began to pour out of his mouth. "I should have seen this coming." He said wryly. He coughed, spraying the blood that had pooled in his mouth onto his lap.

"I guess it was justice." He murmured softly. "I'm glad I asked for your name."

And then there was silence. Brock stared at the man passively, as if contemplating what to do next. He bowed deeply to Zagrin's prone body and then limped towards the stairs.

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Crow shifted swiftly in the air, dodging the beam of heat that had threatened to roast her. Her opponent giggled and struck again, thrusting his hands forward and releasing another jet of fire. Crow squawked her displeasure and shifted again in midair to avoid the flame.

"Stay still my little toy! I just want to play with you a bit!"

_'Strange. He talks like a crazy human, but his attacks are so refined.'_ Crow mused as she shifted, turned, and dived to avoid the power this man was unleashing. Her observation was true. All attacks directed at her wasted no energy, which was so unlike a crazy man. After all, Majora had been insane and he had unleashed torrents of power with little direction at all.

_'So that means…'_

Crow flapped her wings hard in the direction of her opponent. He braced himself as the air in front of him seemed to solidify and batter at him. Multiple fists of air struck at him from every angle, forcing the man to break off his attack and try to guard himself.

"Hey ugly," Crow squawked now that the man had stopped attacking "Why don't you drop the act. You're not crazy at all."

The man chuckled a bit and dropped his arms from where they had been guarding his face.

"Oh dear, was it really that obvious?" He said in a calm manner that was so very different than the way he had been acting before.

"Your attacks gave you away." Crow said before she flapped her wings again. This time the air became sharp instead of just solid. The man turned suddenly, avoiding it as it sliced deeply into the wall behind him.

"I see. Pity. It's so much easier to enjoy myself when people think I'm a simpleton. Their faces wrapped in such exquisite agony as they see a madman tear them apart piece by piece."

"Hmphh, so you're that kind of human. Filth."

"So you say, but unlike that idiot downstairs I'm not a fight hungry fool. I do this simply because I enjoy pain."

Crow snorted in contempt. "Your victims pain, or your pain?" She asked before diving towards the man.

"It makes no difference."

The man swept his hands across, making a wave of fire. Crow responded by going into a barrel roll and using her power to create a shield around herself. She winced in pain as the fire reached her, even though it never truly touched her. The heat still affected her even if she had managed to protect herself from getting burned. She burst through the wave of fire and managed to cut the man with her beak before going out of the dive. Inwardly, she cursed. She had been aiming for something vital and had only gotten the man's arm. That wave of fire had screwed up her aim.

The man dipped two fingers on the cut and put it to his lips. He shuddered at the taste.

"Such exquisite flavor. It's been far too long since anyone could wound me."

He broke out in deep, melodic laughter. Still chuckling, he ignited his hands and prepared to launch another offensive at his avian opponent.

'_Freak'_ Crow muttered in her mind. She rose higher into the air and struck again, creating a ball of hard air that rocketed toward the man. This would hopefully both injure him and put out the flames that he held in his hands.

Her hopes were dashed, however, when the man simply raised one of his flame coated appendages and stopped Crow's attack utterly. In fact, the fire seemed to grow in size and heat. The fire had absorbed the attack.

"I have taken your measure, and you are lacking."

Crow dove suddenly to avoid the enhanced ball of flame only to be forced to dodge once more as the smaller ball. Her efforts were only partially successful as the tips of her left wing feathers were lit on fire. She hastily snuffed it out and increased her speed. She couldn't afford to let this man catch her off guard again.

"You cannot run from fire! It will latch on to you and burn even hotter!"

"Shut up!"

Crow flapped her wings and released blades of sharp air. Her opponent raised another fiery hand and once more absorbed the attack. However, this time cuts appeared on his hand. He stared at it through the flames, his eyes gazing wondrously at the blood that flowed and burned such a beautiful crimson.

"Truly a marvelous feeling." He said as he unleashed the advanced flame in a humongous wave. Crow dove low, but some of the fire followed her. Trying to avoid getting burned, she once more went into a barrel role and extended her powers, blocking the fire from touching her. She went out of the roll, confident that she had avoided the deadly flame. The sudden, sharp pain in her chest, however, proved her wrong. Somehow her opponent had kept some of the fire away from her wind, allowing it to strike her as soon as she came out.

Barely staying airborne, Crow fluttered weakly away from her fiery opponent. He laughed at her struggles, delighting in the obvious agony of her condition. Calmly he strode over to where she was trying to compose herself, continuing his mirth all the way.

"How does it feel? How does it feel to embrace the flame to yourself, to feel the fiery warmth push at your body and blood? Doesn't it feel magnificent? Such a glorious experience the fire brings to all it touches. I am so happy I was able to show you this feeling."

"Hmphh." Crow snorted, refusing to show just how much pain she was truly feeling. "You're still driveling on about that? That holds no interest with me."

The man stopped and looked at her with a puzzled expression. Crossing his arms, he examined her. "How can that be? You have no interest, yet you travel with one whose eyes are like mine? You must be lying. How can you hold such contempt for me, yet travel with that fiery haired man?"

"What are you babbling about now?" Crow squawked. She had just managed to regain some much-needed altitude. Hopefully, it would be enough to allow her to avoid any more attacks.

"The beast recognizes the beast, dearie. In him I see the same as that which I feel in myself, a delight in pain. He has caused great pain in his time, I can feel it!"

He began to shudder like he was feeling physical pleasure, gripping his arms more tightly around himself as he did so. "Such wondrous agony I see from him. It makes anything I have done appear to be mere trifles. He is what I aspire to."

Crow bristled at the man's comments. Revulsion welled up within her, and had possessed a human throat bile would have risen in disgust at this _creature's_ description of Ganondorf. It was vulgar.

"You're wrong." She said in tones barely above a whisper. "He is not like you, not any more. He has changed."

The man's euphoric expression changed to a humorous one. He laughed again, and the fire erupted around him, fluctuating with his laughter. Crow had to drive herself back a few more feet the heat was so intense. The air rippled with it, and the stone of the room itself almost looked like it was beginning to melt.

"There is no change!" He shouted with a grin. Raising one flame coated appendage he formed a fist in front of himself. "Once the beast has hold of you, the beast will always have hold. Change is impossible, and to seek change is merely a path for the weak! Does your friend seek change? Does he seek so-called redemption? He will never find it!"

Crow's anger welled inside her as she listened to this man. It built and built until no longer could she possibly hope to contain it. She screeched a screech no human throat could ever make and thrust her wings forward. A gale so intense it seemed to shake the very castle erupted from her, striking the man. He raised his arms to block it, confident that his flame would absorb her wind. His confidence was short lived, however. Crow's wind lifted him off his feet and threw him into the air, slamming him into the wall on the opposite side of the room. All he could do was press up against the wall and shield his face, hoping that the barrage of wind would reach its end soon.

The wind stopped after what had seemed hours, though it couldn't have been more then a few minutes. The change was so abrupt that the fire wielder lost his balance and stumbled forward. It was for this reason that he didn't notice his condition until it was too late. All his fire had been blown out, vanquished by the wind.

It was at this moment that Crow's beak plunged into the man's defenseless throat. His eyes widened as he realized that he was choking, drowning on his blood. Crow pulled herself away as her opponent fell to the ground, his face locked in an expression of disbelief. She spat the man's flesh from her beak vehemently and looked down upon him.

"You are wrong. It is you, who cannot embrace change, that is weak."

Lacking the energy to make her-self airborne, Crow stumbled for the stairs.

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Frank readied himself. In his left hand he held his short sword, the point held down towards the floor and it's blade facing forward. In his right he held his rapier, the point directed at his enemy. He shifted his feet, ready for anything his opponent might do. Strangely though, Frank's opponent had yet to move. He simply stood there, his swords at the ready, observing Frank intently.

Finally, the man spoke. "You could always just walk away, you know."

Frank blinked in confusion. "What?"

"I could always tell Finis that you managed to escape. There are many stairwells on this floor that will take you back to the bottom. You could sneak away. You wouldn't have to die then."

Frank's look of confusion changed to a serious one.

"Thus allowing you to aid your master in the death of my friend?"

The other man stayed silent in the face of Frank's question. Frank shifted his feet again, tensing them to get ready.

"Since that is the case, I cannot run!" Frank shouted as he leapt forward, his rapier in line to strike at his opponent.

"So you have chosen death."

Frank's sword was intercepted by the scimitar in the man's right hand, placing the deadly tip away from his body. Using his other hand, the man brought his second sword down in a deadly strike. Thinking fast, Frank slashed up and over his right arm with his short, curved sword. It intercepted the second scimitar, keeping it away from Frank's head.

The force of the strike, though, sent Frank to his knees. He had to use all the strength in his arm just to keep the sword away from his face. Seeing the man's knee rushing towards his lowered head, Frank broke away and rolled backwards, careful not to cut himself on his on swords.

Frank rose and circled his opponent, observing him.

_'In terms of speed, we're about equal.'_ Frank analyzed, forcing himself to stay steady. _'From what I could see, our skill levels do not appear too different. In strength, however, he is superior.'_

Frank's study came to an end as the man struck, his sword slashing at Frank's stomach. Frank stepped back to avoid this, only to have to step to his left to avoid the down strike of the other sword. Acting fast, Frank thrust forward and managed to graze his opponent's arm before the man could pull back completely. Frank grinned wryly.

_'A shallow cut, but a cut none-the-less.'_

Frank and his opponent both fought at speeds that appeared uncanny. It was especially strange for the man with the scimitars. Those blades were heavier then Frank's, yet the man was able to keep up with Frank easily. Their weight and the strength behind them gave Frank some trouble, causing the curly haired man to dodge more often then block. Every time Frank had to block it nearly toppled him over.

Frank was methodical in his strikes, thrusting and slashing when it appeared his could get in a good strike. Unfortunately, Frank's opponent always intercepted or dodged Frank's swords. It was like a dance, both participants well versed in the game and always trying to read into what the other was doing. So far the only wounds that they had managed to inflict on the other were shallow, and they had only managed them by attacking when the other was retreating from a failed attack.

This continued for a good while, each of them never able to score a serious hit. Frank, his frustration rising, advanced, trying to force himself in close enough to score a killing blow. His strike was blocked, and it was then that Frank felt the other sword near the tip of his rapier and at the edge of his shoulder.

_'Damn!'_

Frank pulled back, hoping to dodge the inevitable. It was too late though. He could feel the steel on his neck. He stumbled, desperate to get away from his opponent. Fearing the torrent of blood, waiting for the light-headedness that only came through massive blood loss, then the realization came that he was untouched.

_'I'm alive! Wait, I'm alive?'_

Frank took in what had happened swiftly. He realized that the cold steel he had felt on his neck had simply been the back of the man's sword. Why, though, had he not shifted his grip and sliced through his neck?

"Who are you, who has so little killing intent?" Frank questioned as he circled his opponent once more. The man shifted his own feet, following Frank even as he answered the question.

"My name is Zaghaft Mann."

"You did not kill me when you could have. This seems conflicting with the goal given you by your master. Why does one such as you serve Finis?"

"I serve because I do not wish to die."

"If this is the issue, why not run away?"

"When Finis took measure of my skills for the first time, he placed upon me a spell that allows him to know my location anywhere I go. If I run Finis will find me and kill me. I have nothing against you, but I wish to continue living. Please, I implore you to run away."

"I cannot do that."

"Then this is the end."

Zaghaft charged forward faster then he ever had before. Frank barely managed to redirect the man's strike with his rapier. He had to step back quickly to avoid the follow up blow. It continued like this, with Frank constantly on the defensive. Despite moving as swiftly as he could, Zaghaft was always a second faster then he was. Combined with the man's strength and considerable skill, Frank knew he was being overmatched.

_'I miscalculated. This man is both faster and more skilled then I!"_

Blood poured down Frank's body from little cuts. They had all come from strikes blocked a fraction too late or blows not deflected properly. He was breathing hard; the exertion of having to keep up was taking its toll on him. Zaghaft, however, seemed hardly out of breath at all. If it continued like this, Frank knew he would lose.

Moving as fast as he could, hoping against hope that the element of surprise was on his side, Frank truck downwards with his rapier. Zaghaft, taken aback by this gambit, crossed his sword over his head and intercepted the attack. Frank was not deterred, however. He shifted his grip on his short sword, the tip now facing toward the ceiling instead of the floor. Using all his strength he slammed the hilt down on his rapier, forcing it to slice through the two scimitars. Zaghaft stared at Frank's weapon in shock as it shattered.

Holding his short sword to Zaghaft' face, Frank muttered two simple words.

"I win."

Zaghaft guffawed mightily and dropped down to the floor, smiling as he crossed his legs. He let go of his now bladeless swords and looked up at Frank.

"You certainly did."

Frank smiled with Zaghaft, happy that he hadn't needed to kill such a man. He made his way to the stairs heading down.

"We've done all we can Ganondorf." He whispered to himself. "The rest is up to you."

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We're close to the end now. All that's left is the climax, and what a climax it'll be. I'm going to get to work planning out all the details, so I hope to have it done with relative swiftness. Thank you all for reading as much as you have, I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. Sayonara!


	32. Finis, The End

Author's Note: Sorry this took so long. I tried to make it as perfect as possible. I don't own Zelda. Please, read and enjoy.

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Finis

The End

Sparks shot out as the two swords clashed. The force behind the strikes were astonishing, unnatural in their power. The two combatants were unnatural as well. Power radiated off of them as they attacked, blocked and dodged, each trying to gain an advantage over the other.

Finis, lord tyrant of Kyteria, swung down with his curved long sword, intending to cut Ganondorf in half. Though the weapon had but one edge, that edge was sharpened so thin that it could sever almost anything. Ganondorf knew full well that deadly sharpness from their first battle. Responding almost as fast as Finis's attack, Ganondorf brought his sword up and intercepted the strike. Unlike before, Ganondorf's blade took the attack with out faltering an inch. The blade's many adventures over the past months had strengthened it, the rare and secret kyterium allowing it to reform and grow stronger after every breaking. The Gerudo pushed, throwing Finis back a bit before responding with his counter attack. Again they danced around each other, each trying to get past the remarkably balanced skill the other was displaying.

Ganondorf's face was set in grim determination as he fought. No more was this a battle of wounded pride. Lives depended on whether or not he could defeat this man, lives that he had grown to care for. He knew that if he lost he would not be the last one to die. He refused to allow that to happen!

Finis's face, on the other hand, was filled with a kind of almost manic anticipation. His expression was as straight faced as ever except for the cruel smile that parted the tyrant's lips as he clashed swords with Ganondorf. He pushed forward, locking his blade with the Gerudo and moving his face closer to Ganondorf's own. The fiery haired Gerudo could feel Finis's hot breath upon him as the tyrant spoke.

"It ends today, assassin. Your foolish masters on Magstros overestimated you. Nothing will stop me from what is rightfully mine!"

"I have no idea what you are babbling about." Ganondorf growled. He pushed hard, forcing Finis back and on the defensive. He charged forward, curving his heavy broadsword in a rising motion. Finis moved his blade to intercept, steadying his sword by putting his hand on the blunt side of his weapon. Turning swiftly, Finis not only moved away from Ganondorf's sword but also closed in to strike with his own. Reacting quickly, Ganondorf moved to the side and lessened the blow from a killing strike to one that merely nicked his cheek. It was at this moment that Finis realized his error. He had overextended in the hope that his strike would be the final blow.

This mistake was not lost on Ganondorf. The Gerudo pivoted on his heal, twirling quickly. Using the added force of his spin, Ganondorf slammed his sword onto Finis's extended blade. The razor sharp weapon cracked and shattered under Ganondorf's brute force, leaving only a stub of metal connected to the sword's hilt. Despite himself, Ganondorf could not help the slight upward curve of his lip. The irony was not lost on him, considering that in their first battle the positions had been reversed.

Ganondorf turned his sword and sliced at Finis, aiming his deadly weapon at the smaller man's head. Barely in time, Finis managed to shift out of the way with only a minor cut on his neck. For the first time in this fight Ganondorf allowed himself to fully smile. He aimed to finish this fight quickly and it appeared that was what was going to happen.

Ganondorf thrust at Finis, forcing the tyrant to swerve to his right in order to avoid getting stabbed. At the end of his thrust Ganondorf slashed in Finis's direction, to which Finis responded by stepping back, barely averting an attack that would have disemboweled him.

Trying to buy time, Finis threw his stump of a sword at Ganondorf. Shocked by the action, Ganondorf narrowly blocked the projectile from striking his head by bringing his sword up in a defensive position. This gave Finis the time he needed to even the scales.

The tyrant thrust his hand into the very stone they walked upon and pulled out a serpent of the same material. Swiftly he struck, the serpent's upper body extending while the lower stayed wrapped around his arm. The stone snake coiled around Ganondorf's blade and then proceeded to bite down on it. Before the Gerudo could think to pull back, the magical construct wrenched the sword from his hand and flew from Finis's arm, traveling out one of the windows located in the large throne room and into a court yard far below where the other combatants battled.

Ganondorf cursed under his breath at the loss of his sword and tried to gain the upper hand once more. He thrust his hand forward and from it came a wave of fire so hot the very air seemed to ripple. In response Finis twisted out of the way of the scorching flame and, using his hands to direct his magic power, redirected its flow. Turning back to his opponent, Ganondorf's own fire headed toward him. The Gerudo growled and with violet energy coming from his palms he snuffed out the attack.

Even as Ganondorf ended his strike, Finis began his counter-attack. Slamming his palm upon the ground spikes of stone burst forth, careening toward Ganondorf with the intent of impaling him. Pivoting on his heel, Ganondorf barely avoided the deadly spikes. Wasting no time, Ganondorf exhaled, releasing an intense burst of wind. The sudden gale caused Finis to stumble, briefly losing his footing in the powerful wind. Ganondorf took this opportunity to release a small ball of violet energy at his foe before he charged forward.

Finis's hands glowing with golden energy, he swatted aside Ganondorf's magical sphere. It flew off before crashing into the wall to his right and exploding. That task done, he immediately turned his attention back to Ganondorf.

Ganondorf's fist clashed with Finis's, purple energy striking against golden. The power exerted was almost dead equal, forcing their hands back by the recoiling energy. Undaunted, they struck again and again, each time their blows coming to a stalemate. Inwardly, Ganondorf was sneering at the color of Finis's aura. It fit the man so well really, a gaudy aura for a gaudy man.

Deciding to change the game a bit, Ganondorf thrust out his leg and smashed it into the side of Finis's knee. The white haired man stumbled with the force of the blow, giving Ganondorf the time to connect his glowing fist into Finis's jaw. The strength of the hit made Finis fly back before the man finally righted himself. He wiped the blood from his chin and snarled. The cretin had once more dared to strike his face!

"You will pay for that!"

Thrusting his hands forward, lightening shot from Finis. Ganondorf opted to dodge the attack and try to maneuver himself closer to his opponent. He jumped to the side, ready to sprint forward to try and close the distance between them. Unfortunately, Finis realized Ganondorf's plan and struck immediately to where the Gerudo had landed. Having no time to move away, Ganondorf stomped his foot on the ground hard. The stone in front of him pooled together and formed a thick wall that blocked Finis's strike. Immediately, Ganondorf punched his barrier and several shards of sharpened rock flew toward Finis. In retaliation the tyrant jumped high into the air and dove toward Ganondorf.

Almost idly Ganondorf realized what their battle must have been doing to the floor. Multiple times both he and Finis had drawn from the rock beneath them to perform their magic. Undoubtedly that had weakened the stone upon which they stood. He grinned and remembered a trick he had used in his final battle against Link. Perhaps it would do him some good here?

As Finis fell toward Ganondorf, the tyrant did a chopping motion with his hand. Small razors of sharp air sliced at the Gerudo, creating a multitude of small cuts where he was not armored. This shocked the tyrant, as he had been sure that his fiery haired opponent would have dodged his attack. To late did he realize that he had fallen into a trap.

Ganondorf snatched Finis out of the air and with a glowing hand slammed him into the floor. Cracks sprouted forth from the point of impact and riddled all across the rock. The battle had been too much for the weakened stone to handle and the surface gave way beneath the two of them.

Ganondorf had planned ahead for the shattering ground and levitated slowly down to the rubble strewn eleventh floor. He grinned as he gazed upon his work. Finis was buried beneath tones of rock, probably crushed and mangled if not already dead. Yes, it seemed that his plan had worked nicely.

"Don't get too full of yourself worm!"

Bursting from the rubble, covered in cuts and bruises, stood Finis. His face was a mask of fury. This maggot dared to injure him so, dared to ruin his beautiful castle! This insult would not stand.

Tendrils of energy flew from Finis, connecting with the many large pieces of rock that had fallen from what had once been the floor above. They molded and broke until they resembled various deadly predators, animals powerful and strong.

Hands aglow once more, Ganondorf released his power at the creatures. The spheres of energy crashed into the constructs and broke them to pieces. Still, the faux beasts were too many and too fast. The Gerudo could not stop them all. What appeared to be a tiger tackled him, clawing at him and trying to bite at his neck. Ganondorf roared and shot another burst of power through the beast's chest, breaking it into pieces. Almost immediately after it was destroyed, a giant serpent coiled itself around Ganondorf's legs, constricting them almost to their breaking point. Even as the snake did so, the remaining creatures began to close in on Ganondorf. He knew that he was running out of options, so he decided that he would have to do something risky.

From every point on his body erupted violet fire and black lightening, crushing everything around him with its destructive force. The rocky bodies of the animals were no match for it, shattering and then turning to dust under its might.

Ganondorf almost collapsed after that release of power. He had erupted that magical bomb from his own skin, so while not directed at him it still caused him pain. As such, he could be excused for not noticing the figure creeping behind him.

Finis turned Ganondorf around and struck the man hard in the face with a gold glowing fist. The strike forced Ganondorf back until he was a good distance from his foe. The Gerudo wiped the blood coming from his mouth and observed his surroundings. The debris that had fallen from the floor above was mostly gone now, shattered by his attack. It had damaged this floor as well, crushing the furniture and shredding the colorful tapestries. Before their battle, it must have been a magnificent room.

None of that concerned Ganondorf now. He was heavily wounded and had used up quite a bit of the power at his disposal. He knew though that nothing he had sustained was immediately fatal, but if this dragged on much longer it would not end well for him. The only saving grace was that Finis was just as wounded as he, if not more so. Dents and scratches adorned both of their armors, their battle taxing them far beyond that for which they had originally been designed. Across both of their bodies were various bruises and burns, especially around the hands as they had both struck each other's limbs with their magical force. Cuts large and small ran across various sections of their bodies. Their clothes were torn and little rivers of blood coursed down to drip delicately upon the floor. They truly were a ragged sight.

Finis gathered himself and stood tall, looking at Ganondorf with disdain. Almost casually, he tore off his chest plate and threw it away. This action surprised Ganondorf. Why would the tyrant throw away one of the few protections that he had?

"You are strong, assassin. But now I know your limit! This farce ends now!"

Erupting with power, Finis's body began to change. The most immediate alteration was that the man grew three feet in height, becoming a towering nine feet tall. The rest of his body grew in muscle along with his height, increasing his size to a startling degree. The already tattered shirt that Finis had worn under his armour ripped apart, not able to take the strain of the transformation. The pure white hair that adorned Finis's head turned a deep shade of green, a color not unlike a leaf in spring, growing down to the middle of his back. The nails on his hands and feet grew and hardened, becoming claws of wicked sharpness and strength. Though inconsequential in comparison to the other changes, but apparent none-the-less, his skin had changed from a healthy pink to a light orange. His ears became longer and sharper and his canines followed the same path. Finis had transformed from an intimidating man to a monstrous looking nine-foot abomination.

"This is the result of my work, of my genius! Admire it as you perish!"

Finis struck with speed that should have been impossible for his size. Ganondorf barely registered that the man had moved before he felt the humongous fist crash into the chest plate of his armour. The force of it lifted Ganondorf off of his feet and high into the air. The Gerudo had almost nothing left, no power and no tricks with which to defend himself against such strength. Perhaps he could have pulled something together against an equally damaged Finis, but the tyrant's transformation seemed to have restored the bruised and battered flesh to perfect health.

Finis's clawed hands snatched the falling Ganondorf out of the air and brought their faces close. The tyrants grip was like a vice around the Gerudo, making it very difficult for Ganondorf to breath. Despite the strength in Finis's hands, despite his own exhaustion and injury, Ganondorf refused to just accept his end quietly.

Ganondorf exhaled, releasing a little of the meager power he had left. Finis roared as his face began to frost then freeze, dropping Ganondorf as he clutched his frozen countenance. Instantly, Ganondorf concentrated all his remaining power into his right fist, causing it to glow with purple fire. He propelled it viciously at Finis's midsection, causing wicked impact and burns at the same time. He grinned as he felt flesh surrender to the blow, breaking under the force he could bring to bear.

His grin changed to a grimace as he realized his actions had used up what little power he had left. This was further demonstrated when Finis slapped the Gerudo, sending him flying into the air and landing roughly on his side. Finis swiped the last of the frost from his face and briefly considered his stomach. The attack had hurt, but the pain was already fading. It had merely been a desperate gambit from a man who already knew he had no chance of winning. This thought comforted Finis, and he sneered at Ganondorf's fallen figure as he approached the Gerudo once more.

"I only want three things from you, assassin."

Finis kicked Ganondorf in the side, the strength of it made the Gerudo slide across the floor until he struck the far wall with enough force to crack it. Ganondorf coughed roughly, some of his blood dribbling out of his mouth. No one had ever hit him that hard. He considered once more using the Triforce, but found the idea of the unknown just as frightening as before. He couldn't do it; the risk was as great as death! The item could just as easily warp him as it did before. As he did not know what would happen, what was the point of surviving if he might no longer be himself?

"Cry."

Finis picked Ganondorf up by his legs and flipped him over his head and onto the floor. Ganondorf restrained the urge to yell. He wouldn't give Finis the pleasure.

The Gerudo's armour could no longer take the stress being dealt it. It crumpled, piercing Ganondorf uncomfortably in the back. He knew that if he took another serious hit his own armour would stab him to death. Weakly, he unclasped it before standing up. Finis looked down at him with scorn.

"Scream."

Finis dug his claws deep into Ganondorf's exposed shoulders, but still the Gerudo denied the tyrant. He would not give in, he would not cry out. This defiance angered Finis. He uttered to Ganondorf his final demand.

"Die."

Electricity erupted from Finis's claws and into Ganondorf's body, tearing at every part of him, scorching his nerves and skin with barbs of pain and needles of agony. It was too much; Ganondorf's body was at its limit. It no longer followed the command of his brain. Ganondorf screamed.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Brock, you look horrible."

Frank's statement was met by a rueful smile by the fighter. Zagrin had been proficient in the use of his wires and it showed by the number of wounds on Brock's body. It was apparent he was favoring his right leg over his left, and from the looks of both his arms, as well as his back, he clearly had gone through quite an ordeal.

"You're a fine one to talk. You're cut up everywhere!"

"My opponent was… very skilled."

"Mine was just a freak." Crow commented from Frank's shoulder. She was still nursing her wounds from her fiery foe, too weakened to take flight. They had all met somewhere on the sixth floor, each trying to stay out of the way of the battle they still heard upstairs. Each wounded as they were, they knew that they would be more of a hindrance then a help to Ganondorf. Not wanting to simply sit and wait, they decided to do something. They were looking for the villagers of Hillonds Door.

They met no resistance in their search. All the guards had fled the building after hearing that both Finis and his personal retinue were all engaging in battle. No one wanted to be anywhere near that.

"Zaghaft said that the cells for the villagers were located at the very bottom, in the basement."

"Are you sure that he's reliable? Are you sure they're even alive?" Brock questioned as they stumbled down toward the basement of the huge castle. It was more then a little uncomfortable for them, moving so much after fighting so fiercely. They had to be careful not to wound themselves further.

"He said that no harm has come to them. We can trust him."

It did not take long to find the basement door. Being the least injured, Frank managed to break down the rotten wood of the door with a well-placed push of his shoulder. Apparently the guards had decided to lock it before fleeing. A minor inconvenience, though Frank did not appreciate it.

Rows of cells adorned the walls of the vast room. Scared faces of men, women and children looked toward the shattered door, hope showing on their visages as they saw who had come.

"I think we found them."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

To move was torture. Whenever he did, pain lanced through his whole being. It took all his willpower to not scream again, to not cry out in agony. He would not give in to that weakness again, not in front of his enemy. He glared up at Finis's hulking form, determined that even though he would die he would die with dignity.

Finis hated that look, that expression of defiance. He had wanted his assailant to feel fear before he died, cowed by his genius and might. All he was rewarded with was that same look. It grated at him. This assassin would feel despair before he perished! To kill him without doing so would take all the joy out of the deed. He bent down, wanting Ganondorf to hear his words so that the man would die in anguish like he wished him to.

"You came for more then just killing me, correct? I know you came for the villagers of that town. But they outlived their usefulness as soon as I knew you had found the village destroyed. They're dead, assassin, dead because of you."

Ganondorf's defiant glare turned to a look of horror.

"They're… dead? You killed them? Why… you just wanted me. I was the threat. Why…?"

Ganondorf's mumbling's became incoherent. He couldn't understand it. He had failed before he had even begun? Those who had treated him with respect, who had aided him on his journey, were dead? The words he muttered increased in speed. They were dead, and he was responsible.

_'They're dead. They're all dead. That means May is…'_

He didn't care about the pain. Mere physical pain was nothing compared to the emotions he was feeling. He threw back his head and screamed a scream far deeper and more tortured then he had ever released in his life. He had known friendship, he had known love, and now it was gone, leaving an aching pit in Ganondorf's being that he knew would never go away. Nothing was left but emptiness and sorrow and hate that grew and festered until he was utterly filled.

He didn't care any longer. He didn't care if he wasn't himself when the battle was over. He didn't care if he couldn't reverse any change or if the power simply destroyed him. Nothing mattered any more other than making this man suffer in ways so terrible no words could possibly describe it. He activated the Triforce and the world erupted with light.

Finis covered his eyes. The light, the power, roiling from Ganondorf was too great to directly look upon. The force of it pushed him back. He dug his clawed feet into the stone to keep from being blown away.

When the light dimmed Finis immediately turned his attention back to Ganondorf. What he saw was shocking.

All his injuries had disappeared. Like Finis's transformation, Ganondorf now had no cuts, no bruises. His flesh was whole. This, however, was not the most startling thing of the transfiguration.

While there was no great increase in size, Ganondorf was indeed altered. He was clad in a peculiar scale like armour, almost like that of a snake. The light shimmered off it, making it flash from dark obsidian to bright silver depending on how the angle of the light upon the armour. These colors never seemed to mix, never merged. It was always one or the other, always split so one was distinguishable from the other. Even when both colors were seen simultaneously, it was always clear they had not combined. They were separate, existing next to each other but never coming together, touching but never blending.

The most shocking alteration, however, were the two wings that now adorned Ganondorf's back. They came out from the shoulder blades, each longer than a man's height. On his right shoulder was a pure white wing, feathered like that of a bird. His left was almost the complete opposite; black with taut flesh, as if belonging to a gigantic bat. They shimmered their respective colors, their very energy seeming to hold Ganondorf slightly off the ground though the wings did not move.

Finis recovered quickly from his shock. So what if this cretin had changed. He was still no threat to him now that he had unleashed his glorious body wrought from his own genius. "So," He sneered, "Is this the Ganon you ranted about in our first confrontation? I am not impressed."

Finis charged forward and struck at Ganondorf with a gigantic fist. The impact was colossal, striking Ganondorf in the chest with so much force that the air was pushed aside violently. Ganondorf was pushed back slightly, grimacing lightly at the force. If the strike had done anything but make him uncomfortable, however, it was not apparent.

Raising his gauntlet covered fist to Finis, Ganondorf answered Finis's question. His face was one of sadness. He eyes were overcome by a deep grief, but when they stared at Finis, a spark of rage erupted in the torrent of sorrow that was Ganondorf's visage, rage so deep that it burned like the heart of the sun.

"No, I am not Ganon. That one is no longer. I am mightier then Ganon. I am Ganonanon."

Power erupted from Ganonanon's outstretched hand, striking Finis full on. The strength of it overwhelmed the tyrant, throwing him back into the wall. The pressure increased, taking the breath from Finis's lungs and riddling the stone with cracks as Finis was forced into it. In defiance of this, Finis leaned forward, pushing himself off the wall. Despite his efforts, he was straining himself simply to do this. Just when it seemed like the man could no longer take the pressure, it let up. He would have stumbled forward if Ganonanon's hand had not steadied him.

"You won't go that easily."

Finis threw his hand upon Ganonanon to claw at his exposed head. This was not tolerable! He was Finis! He would not lose like this! He would rip off this man's head and preserve it as a trophy! With these thought Finis struck at Ganonanon with all he force he could draw from his enhanced muscles. His strike never hit home.

Ganonanon pushed Finis forcefully, throwing him into the air and crashing him through a wall and into the adjoining room. The tyrant jumped to his feet only to see Ganonanon there. The floating figure slammed his hand across Finis's face, forcing the man to the ground once more. Growling, Finis channeled heat into his hand and threw it toward Ganonanon's face, releasing a powerful fireball. Raising his hand to intercept, Ganonanon stopped the attack and redirected the force of the resulting explosion away from himself. Finis's attack, however, had merely been a distraction.

With an intense burst of speed, Finis managed to get behind Ganonanon. He struck swiftly with his aura-covered fist. Unlike his first attack, Ganonanon caught this strike easily. He had turned quickly after seeing through Finis's diversion. He exerted more pressure on the fist, making Finis cry out in pain as the man's hand was crushed.

With an almost casual motion, Ganonanon threw Finis upwards. The man turned monster careened through the floor they had once fought on and continued on through the very roof of the top floor. He landed roughly on his side, hitting the roof heavily. Shakily, he pushed himself up and onto his feet. He idly noted that it was raining, but the thought was drowned out by the intense anger he felt. This fool was playing with him!

Ganonanon appeared on the roof, his face as calm as it was down below. It was still one of sadness mixed with rage. He showed no pleasure in handling Finis as soundly as he did. It was as if his beating of Finis was simply… a chore that had to be done. If anything, this served to make Finis even angrier.

"Damn you! Don't mock me you insect!"

Finis forcefully realigned the broken bones in his shattered hand and attacked with everything he had. From his outstretched limbs came an intense burst of pure, magical force. It washed over Ganonanon, engulfing his body. Still, his image could be made out through the beam. Infuriated even further at this, Finis roared. From his mouth emerged another bolt of force that merged with the one erupting from his hands. The darkened sky shone like the noonday sun at this showing of power, drawing, however briefly, all eyes toward it.

Soon though, Finis had to stop. The strain of the releasing all that power for so long was too much even for his enhanced body. He panted roughly, waiting for the dust to settle so that he could see his foe's mangled corpse.

This was not to be.

"Is this the extent of your power? Is this what you conquered a country for? Pitiful."

He still floated there, not having moved an inch. Smoke rose from his body, making it clear that the attack had actually hit, but it had done little. Ganonanon's exposed face appeared slightly burned. His armour was covered in soot and dust, but was otherwise intact. Such a mighty attack, but the damage was so little. It was no use. Finis lacked the strength to defeat his foe.

In Ganonanon's hand arose a sword as black as pitch, looking as if it was made from darkness itself. Faster then the eye could see he sliced at Finis, cutting the towering man heavily on the arm. He continued rapidly, wounding Finis all over his body with cuts delivered so swiftly and so powerfully that Finis had no time to react. By the time Ganonanon had ended his assault Finis was barely alive.

It took all the tyrant's power simply to remain standing. For the first time in memory Finis felt true fear. He saw his death before him, armed for his destruction and riding upon wings both beautiful and terrible to behold.

"No, you will not die." Ganonanon spoke suddenly, almost as if he had read Finis's thoughts. "That is too lenient."

The black sword disappeared, fading away into the shadow that had spawned it. With both hands now free Ganonanon brought them together and parted them. Reality itself seemed to cleave with this motion, opening up into a realm that contained absolutely nothing. It was Ganondorf's former prison. If he hadn't been so focused, he might have marveled at how easy it was to open it from the outside. This, however, did not cross his mind.

"In here, you will have your greatest wish. You will never die. However, the wounds made by my sword are those you cannot heal. Live, Finis, forever with pain, your humiliation and suffering."

He tried to run, to get away from this wrathful entity that had taken the place of the man he had battled. He might as well have tried to hold the sun in his hands. Ganonanon grabbed him by the neck and threw him into the void. Finis screamed as the doorway closed, trapping him forever in pain and nothingness.

Ganonanon touched the ground and released his power, becoming once more Ganondorf. The Gerudo knelt to his knees for he had no more strength to support himself. The rain continued on, covering his face and body, drenching him. Though hidden by the rain, he wept. He had cared, truly cared for something, and now it was gone. The force of it was too much. Even though he had defeated Finis, he had lost.

"Why are you crying?" A soft voice questioned from the side. Ganondorf turned, disbelief, followed by hope, then joy flooded over him. There, at the stair that led to the roof, was May. By her side were Frank, Crow and Brock, along with several of the people of Hillonds Door. They were alive.

May walked over to the still shocked Ganondorf and hugged his kneeling form. Ganondorf embraced her as well, smiling and crying and joyful beyond all belief. He hadn't failed. He hadn't let them die.

Finally, it was over.


End file.
